As America prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, acclaimed filmmaker Jon Erwin is betting that audiences are ready for a story that looks back to the nation's earliest days-and he isn't being shy about his ambitions.
The Jesus Revolution and I Can Only Imagine director says his newest epic, Young Washington, is nothing less than a heartfelt "love letter to America."
Opening in theaters on July 3, just ahead of Independence Day celebrations, the Angel Studios and Wonder Project collaboration explores the formative years of George Washington long before he became the legendary commander and America's first president.
Erwin revealed that the project has been nearly a decade in the making.
"I wanted to make a film that was a love letter to America on the 250th anniversary of America," he explained, describing his long fascination with the revolutionary leader and the events that shaped him into one of history's most influential figures.
Rather than focusing on Washington's military victories alone, the film asks a deeper question: How is a great leader forged?
According to Erwin, the answer isn't found in ambition, fame, or battlefield success.
Instead, Young Washington traces the future president's transformation from a young man eager to make a name for himself into a leader who discovers that true greatness comes through serving others.
For Erwin, that lesson points directly to the teachings of Jesus.
"To lead is to serve," he said, adding that Christ's model of servant leadership became one of the film's defining themes.
The movie also explores Washington's growing conviction that God's providence guided both his own life and the birth of the United States.
Erwin believes this spiritual dimension is impossible to separate from the American story.
"I don't think you can understand him, the American Revolution, or the nation without this idea of what he called the divine hand of providence," he said, referencing Washington's own reflections in his first inaugural address.
But the message isn't the only thing making headlines.
Erwin says the production itself pushed the cast and crew to their limits.
Instead of relying on sound stages or extensive visual effects, the filmmakers committed to shooting almost entirely outdoors in real locations. Mud, rain, wind, and rugged terrain became part of the filmmaking process, giving the battle scenes a gritty realism rarely seen in faith-based historical dramas.
The production adopted an unexpected rallying cry after House of David star Michael Iskander presented Erwin with a ring engraved with the words, "Seek discomfort."
That phrase quickly became the unofficial motto of the entire production.
"We never entered a sound stage," Erwin recalled. "We were out in the elements."
Fans of House of David may also notice familiar DNA in the film's large-scale action sequences.
Erwin credited the experience gained while producing the hit biblical series with helping his team create even bigger and more ambitious battle scenes for Young Washington.
"I'm very, very proud of the stunt work and the action and the scope and scale and spectacle of this film," he said.
Ultimately, Erwin hopes audiences leave theaters with something more than entertainment.
While acknowledging that America has never been perfect, he believes the nation's story remains worth celebrating-and worth improving together.
As patriotic celebrations sweep across the country this July, Young Washington is positioning itself as one of the season's biggest historical releases, inviting audiences to rediscover the faith, sacrifice, and leadership that shaped the birth of a nation.
