An anti-abortion film shot in secret in Oklahoma examines Planned Parenthood, focusing on Abby Johnson, who was a clinic director who claims she “helped facilitate 22,000 abortions before quitting the organization in 2009 after watching via ultrasound as one was performed,” the Hollywood Reporter writes.
The filmmakers behind the hit movies “God’s Not Dead” and “I Can Only Imagine” have completed filming of “Unplanned” and expect to release the movie next year.
Unplanned is the second anti-abortion movie to have been produced under an assumed title and in secrecy, the first being Roe v. Wade, which Nick Loeb, famous for his lawsuit over embryos with former girlfriend Sofia Vergara, wrapped in July.
While Roe v. Wade ran into a buzz saw of trouble with crewmembers quitting once they learned the movie leaned anti-choice, Unplanned — which filmed under the title “Redeemed” — suffered no such setbacks, since the crew were aware of the content and were primarily in sync with the pro-life message.
“But no matter which side you come down on, there’s a big chunk of this movie that will make you uncomfortable, because Abby has been pro-choice and pro-life,” said Chuck Konzelman, who co-wrote and co-directed with Cary Solomon, both of whom co-wrote God’s Not Dead, which earned $60.8 million on a $2 million budget.
The cast includes Ashley Bratcher (War Room), Robia Scott (CSI) and Emma Roberts (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay) and is set to be released March 22, 2019, Stream.org reports. “Adapted from her best-selling memoir first released in 2010, the film is not a ‘documentary’ as some initially reported. Rather it’s a full-length dramatic feature.”
“This is a deeply visceral, emotional journey,” says Chuck Konzelman, co-director of Unplanned. “With most stories, you see a lead character growing in wisdom. This is sort of the reverse — Abby is falling deeper and deeper into evil. She doesn’t realize she is being prepared for her change.”
Before her sudden departure, she served as director of the local Planned Parenthood clinic. Today, Johnson leads a nonprofit that helps clinic workers leave the abortion industry. In benefit speeches for pregnancy centers nationwide, she often mentions her two previous abortions.
“No one is too far gone for redemption,” says Johnson in an interview. “Healing and God’s mercy are available for everyone. That’s really the message that I hope this movie will convey to the public.”
In addition to “Unplanned” and “Roe v. Wade,” a third anti-abortion film titled “Gosnell: The Trial of America’s Biggest Serial Killer” is also set to hit screens soon.