CaliToday (02/12/2025): Zachary Levi, the actor best known to the world for his lightning-bolt-wielding role in the Shazam! franchise, is trading spandex for history and CGI battles for spiritual depth. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital regarding his new film Sarah’s Oil, Levi opened up about his career pivot and offered a candid critique of why Hollywood ignored the "faith and family" audience for so long.
According to Levi, the industry's recent embrace of faith-based content wasn't born out of sudden piety, but out of undeniable box office power that executives can no longer ignore.
The Hollywood Awakening
When asked why a story as powerful as Sarah’s Oil or the genre of faith-based films in general—was sidelined for decades, Levi didn't mince words.
"For a large portion of time, they [Hollywood] didn’t know about it," Levi explained. However, he noted a significant shift in the internal mechanics of the industry over the last ten years. He pointed out that major studios only began paying attention when independent faith-based films started generating massive returns on investment.
"They didn't believe there was money in it," Levi noted. "It took the audience showing up in droves to prove that there is a massive demographic craving stories that reflect their values."
As a result, major studios have now been forced to launch dedicated divisions specifically to cater to this audience—a group Levi says was "underserved" for generations.
Faith as a Compass
For Levi, who has always been vocal about his Christian faith, choosing a role is no longer just about the paycheck or the fame; it is a spiritual deliberation. He revealed that he actively turns down projects that lack a sense of "redemption" or human value.
"I don't need every movie to be explicitly religious," Levi clarified. "But it has to have that 'good versus evil' element. It has to inspire courage, hope, and the spirit of victory."
From the high-octane world of superheroes to the grounded, gritty reality of Sarah’s Oil, Levi says his career trajectory is intentional. "I let God lead," he said, describing his faith as the ultimate compass for his creative journey.
Unearthing "Sarah’s Oil"
Produced by Amazon Studios and the Kingdom Story Company (the team behind hits like Jesus Revolution), Sarah’s Oil brings to light a forgotten chapter of American history.
The film tells the extraordinary true story of Sarah Rector, an African American girl born in the Oklahoma Indian Territory in the early 1900s. Facing crushing poverty and systemic racism, Rector’s life changed overnight when oil was discovered on her allotted land, making her one of America's first black female millionaires at the tender age of 11.
Levi steps into the role of Bert Smith, a character he describes not as a savior, but as a true "business partner." Smith aids Rector in navigating the cutthroat oil industry, helping her secure the fortune that was rightfully hers.
Levi admits the project took years to bring to the screen, but insists the struggle was worth it to bring such a profound narrative to the public.
"This is a story about overcoming the odds, about resilience, and about history that needs to be known," Levi stated.
"Sarah’s Oil" is currently playing in theaters nationwide.
Source: Fox News