'Pastor. Spy. Assassin': Bonhoeffer's WWII Story of Faith, Hope, and Courage Hits the Big Screen

"Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin" is a film depicting the real-life story of the late Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and it's already in the number four slot at the box office after opening weekend.

It's about the Christian pastor who resisted oppression and stood strong in his faith while facing religious persecution. He led a courageous battle against Hitler in the 1930s and 1940s risking his life to save Jews from genocide.

John Scanlon, a producer for the film, was impressed with every detail he learned about Bonhoeffer.

"I think the easiest way to describe Dietrich Bonhoeffer is that he was a World War II German resistance figure and, while his training was as a pastor and theologian, ultimately, his life led him to become a spy and then a figure involved in an assassination plot against Hitler. So, from a theologian and pacifist to someone actively involved in the struggle to overthrow tyranny," he said.

Scanlon told CBN News how he first came to know Bonhoeffer's story.

"So, there was a surge of interest a while ago in Bonhoeffer's life. About 12 years ago, the lead producers on this project read a biography and just were really interested in what they were reading about this man's life and about both his struggle with the greatest evil of his time, but also the timelessness of his journey."

The film went through a strategic process including casting the right actor for Bonhoeffer's character.

"We could have taken several different approaches in casting. Ultimately, what we decided to do was to use German actors. And I mean, the sort of the cream of the crop of German actors as our Germans, as the good Germans who were fighting against the Nazis and form the resistance within the country. So, Jonas Dassler is our amazing Bonhoeffer. He is a brilliant young actor, rising star in Germany, and he just brings Bonhoeffer to life in every dimension in detail," he told CBN News.

It's a story of faith, hope, and courage. A story that is relevant today.

"The thing about Bonhoeffer is, you know, we all have a challenge and a choice in our lives to stand up against evil and to fight for justice. We may not, we may not have an opponent like Hitler. But we often have obvious evil in our own lives that we can challenge and confront. And Bonhoeffer, I think, blazes a trail for how you can be brave in doing that. In fact, one of our, social media hashtags is #BonhoefferBrave. And we really hope this film encourages people to be Bonhoeffer brave in the challenges that they face in their life," John Scanlon said.

"Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin" is now in theaters nationwide.

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