As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, a new cinematic epic is set to transport audiences back in time. Sight & Sound Films, in partnership with Roadside Attractions, has announced “A Great Awakening” will open in theaters nationwide on April 3, 2026.
The film marks a significant milestone for Sight & Sound, the studio renowned for its immersive, faith-based stage productions in Pennsylvania and Missouri. Following the success of I Heard the Bells, this new feature explores a pivotal yet often overlooked chapter of American history: the unlikely friendship between a fiery evangelist and a skeptical polymath.
Set in the turbulent decades leading up to the American Revolution, the story follows the real-life bond between Reverend George Whitefield (played by Jonathan Blair) and Benjamin Franklin (John Paul Sneed).
The narrative focuses on how Whitefield’s thundering proclamations of “liberty in Christ” helped unite the fractured colonies, creating a shared cultural identity long before the Declaration of Independence was ever signed. Despite their theological differences, Franklin—the quintessential man of reason—becomes one of Whitefield’s greatest promoters, printing his sermons and observing firsthand how a spiritual movement could reshape the moral landscape of a people.
“We wanted to show that true liberty isn’t just written into law; it must be awakened in the hearts of the people,” said Director Joshua Enck. “This is a story of how ordinary individuals, fueled by faith and friendship, steered the course of history.”
Filmed on location in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the production utilized massive practical sets and period-accurate costuming to recreate the 18th-century colonies. For Sight & Sound, the April release coincides with the company’s 50th anniversary, bridging their legacy of live theater with their expanding vision for the silver screen.
