DeVon Franklin and Tyler Perry Produce Biblical 'Ruth and Boaz' Story with a Modern Take

The pages of Scripture are the inspiration for a new film. It's a modern take on the love story of Ruth and Boaz. Media mogul Tyler Perry and filmmaker DeVon Franklin are behind the project. For Franklin, this movie is a bit more personal than any other film he's produced. 

Franklin balances ministry and movie-making. He is behind several films, including "The Pursuit of Happiness," "Heaven is for Real," and "Flaming Hot." 

More than a decade ago, Franklin was a newlywed, launching his own production company. Today, it's a whole new chapter for him. He's a newlywed. And his recent wedding comes years after a painfully public divorce, depression, and a season of silent loss.
   
"Finding love again, getting married again, all of these things have come out of the breakthrough. And I'm telling you, don't get me wrong, that breakdown was hard. Yet I needed to get here through that. And I'm glad that I went through it. It was a major blessing," he told CBN News' Studio 5.

Franklin's blessed, personal love story, and a Biblical love story are the inspiration for his return to filmmaking. It is a modern-day take on Ruth and Boaz.
  
"Ruth and Boaz, I am so excited about this movie. I think that one, the Bible, has endured not just because of its truth, but also because of its storytelling. There are some amazing, miraculous, and wonderful stories in the Bible. And so, for Tyler (Perry) and I to launch this production partnership and the first movie to be inspired by a biblical story, I thought was very important. And this love story stars Phylicia Rashad as Naomi, Serayah McNeill as Ruth, and Tyler Lepley as Boaz," Franklin said.
 
McNeill shared with CBN News' Studio 5 what the Ruth and Boaz story means to her.

"I was familiar with it for sure... I found out some things from knowing the lineage and the journey that they both took, right, and the real story. But definitely, I kind of found out those details once auditioning for the film and wanting to know more about the story. I've just grown up and always have heard it referenced to finding your Boaz," McNeill said.
 
From Scriptures to screen, it is God who continues to write the ultimate love story, something Franklin came to relate to.

"I'm hoping a movie like this can remind us of what's possible when we have humility and compassion, and we bring that into how we court our relationships," Franklin said.
 
Ruth and Boaz premieres Friday, September 26th, on Netflix.

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