A Star is Born Again in New 'Elijah Peel' Movie

Robert Malcolm Cumming and Evelyn Grace Kite in 'Elijah Peel'. Photo image courtesy Gravity Studios.
Sometimes people do get a second chance in life even if the circumstances don’t make any sense. A powerful new film about fame, addiction, redemption, and the unexpected ways faith can change a life spell this out beautifully.

Elijah Peel, inspired by a true story, follows a stadium-filling rock star whose world comes crashing down after a near-fatal heart attack. During his recovery, an extraordinary young girl helps him see life—and himself—in a whole new way.

Opening exclusively in theaters August 14th, the film is written, directed, and produced by Kevin D. Sepe, with Robert Malcolm Cumming starring as Elijah Peel. Executive produced by Willie and Korie Robertson of Duck Dynasty and The Blind, Elijah Peel is a moving story of healing, reconciliation, and second chances.

I recently sat down with Sepe and Cumming to talk about the story behind Elijah Peel, the power of divine appointments, and the message of hope and second chances that the movie so beautifully conveys.

For every director/writer, there always seems to be a moment where you say to yourself, “I have to be a part of this movie!! It is non-negotiable”. For Elijah Peel what was that moment for you?

Kevin Sepe: It's kind of corny, but I'm not a writer. I'm a receiver. I have an intention to write and then open up the channels. And that's sort of what happened with Elijah Peel. The first thing that came to me was the name. That opened up this whole world of the rockstar. The whole thing just sort of started coming to me. And I knew as I'm writing it that this was extraordinary. And it just kept coming, and I kept writing. It kept going in different directions. But I knew when I was writing this that it was special.

Then I let it sit there for several years but it was inside of me that I needed to make this movie. And I wasn't a filmmaker. And I’m not really a writer. I was doing music. Music is my first love, but I always loved film. And when the opportunity came that I could have made this movie, I made a stupid comedy instead. I was thinking that I was going to make five more and Elijah Peel would be one of them. It wasn't because God had other plans and He took me off of it. But I took myself on a really dangerous course that I nearly died, a lot of bad things, and just horrors.

I didn't think I would ever make a movie again. I would be stuck with this stupid comedy as my legacy. But having been born again and having a relationship with Jesus and all of that being a part of who I am, it killed me that that movie was out there. It was like I'm living with this story, and I knew I had to make it, and I knew it wasn't up to me anymore. God had to be ready to give it to me again. I can't speak for God. But in my own thought process, He gave me another chance. And this was a function of a lot of prayer.

Ultimately, my partner, Terry Harris, who was the executive producer on this, we came together and made the decision that we had to get this done. And we did.

Diving into the movie, feeling like his life might be coming to an end physically, emotionally, and spiritually, a life-changing young girl comes into Elijah Peel’s life. Why do you think God places the unlikeliest of people in our lives sometimes to help us see our lives differently and more positively?

Kevin Sepe: This is because the unlikely ones are the ones we might have no choice but to listen to. If it came from my mother, or my father, or my preacher, or the people that we know in a rebellious sort of way, you might not pay attention. But when it comes from this delicate, dying person, it's so disarming that we do listen. What this little girl does say to Elijah Peel is so valuable and so innocent that you can't reject it. The barrier's been removed. And in Elijah’s case, God's got him in a captive situation. He's got tubes. He can't get out. He's near death. And here's this bald little girl, this little angel with a sense of humor, with a heart of gold, and with every word she says, you know that there is no motivation other than love. You know that there is no condemnation. I think that's why these people are chosen by God, because with the delivery of the message, sometimes it is the messenger and not the message.

Robert Malcolm Cummings: God speaks through the unexpected. If it's already coming from people you expect it from, it's not going to hit. It's not going to land the same. Cory Hanson has this song called “Bird on a Swing”. And there's this line I love that says, "The only ones I like are strangers. They're the only people I don't know." And there's something beautiful about that just because there's nothing for you to connotate around that image of the person. You're just getting whatever the message or the impression is on your life with them. And so, I think it has to come from the unexpected.

This is definitely a story of hope, healing, reconciliation, and faith. And it has been said that timing is everything. Why is it so important to express these messages to audiences at this very moment in time?

Kevin Sepe: I think that this message and this film is important anytime, any day, anywhere, in any decade or any century. It's just that the powers out there don't want to put these movies out. You go to the theater and there's every major studio represented. Billions of dollars are out there. We're up against billions and billions of dollars from an industry that doesn't really like to talk about these kinds of things. And so, I don't think it's a function of when is the best time. If we had done this film hundreds of years ago and just put these kinds of things out there and let people know they're not alone, and let them know there's hope, and let them know music, that we wouldn't be in such a bad condition right now.

This movie gets released on August 14th, so that's God's ultimate plan. And He's got the right timing in everything.

Robert Malcolm Cummings: I don't want this to shy away from the dark realities of hitting rock bottom and what it is that brings you to faith. It was cinematic. It was unflinching, and for faith-based movies, I think that's a great turn in the right direction when it comes to making art that also has a spiritual message.

In Elijah Peel’s case he gets a second chance at life. Sadly, though, many people sometimes don’t get that opportunity. Why is it so important to grab hold of that opportunity even when you have seemingly given up on everything?

Robert Malcolm Cummings: I think that's when the biggest opportunities arise. Like you said, divine appointments often come when they are unexpected. It's probably when you're at your lowest and you have the least amount of strength that that one opportunity is actually within your grasp. The rest of your time, you're just trying to chase it, but you're not ready for it.

Obviously, music plays a significant role in Elijah Peel. How important was it to get just the right sound and musical vibe right for this movie? Was there any particular artist that served as the inspiration for the “Elijah Peel Sound”?

Kevin Sepe: One of the great challenges and joys for me, because I'm a music guy first, is that if you're talking about a rockstar and you're trying to convince an audience that this guy is a legitimate rockstar, you need to get the music right. You have to figure out his previous music. What made him a rockstar? So, what was his first song prior? There's a piece of music that opens the film that's his old stuff. And then the rest of the movie is the sort of music that parallels his arc. As he starts to change, the music starts to change.

And that's the joy of this film, to be honest with you. It’s the music. I didn't really think about genre. I wrote everything. It is what it is. But I didn't really think about genre, but it probably reflects my taste in music.

After people have had a chance to see Elijah Peel, what would you like to see audiences take away from the viewing experience? What is your greatest hope for the film?

Kevin Sepe: I hope that millions upon millions upon millions of people see this. Why? Because I want people to know that no matter how far down the line you are, how desperate or how hopeless you may feel, how awful your life can be, how damaged your brain can feel, just reach out. Just tell somebody, open the door, and let God know how you feel. He will come rushing in. Call His name and He's right there. Amen. He's there for all of us. Our hope exists in Him.

Elijah Peel opens exclusively in theaters nationwide on August 14th.

WATCH A TRAILER FOR ELIJAH PEEL: