“The Forge,” the latest release from the Kendrick Brothers – the creative team behind the No. 1 box-office hit “War Room,” as well as “Overcomer,” “Courageous” and “Fireproof” – will be showing exclusively in Ayala Malls Cinemas starting October 9. 

Directed and co-written by Alex Kendrick, “The Forge” is sure to inspire discipleship and prayerfulness as it tells the story of a young man named Isaiah Wright. A year out of high school with no plans for his future, Isaiah is challenged by his single mom and a successful businessman to start charting a better course for his life. Through the prayers of his mother and her friend Miss Clara, as well as biblical discipleship from his new mentor, Isaiah begins to discover God’s purpose for his life is so much more than he could hope for or imagine. 

In “The Forge,” moviegoers will find themselves reconnecting with characters and actors they’ve known and loved as they dive into a compelling new story that is certain to inspire and challenge people to grow deeper in their faith.

Priscilla Shirer, an internationally known Bible teacher, plays Cynthia, mom of Isaiah. “It seems like a privilege that the Lord is allowing us this opportunity to do what we consider to be ministry together as a family,” says Shirer, a familiar face to fans of the Kendrick Brothers, having starred in their previous work “War Room.”

Sure to be a fan favorite is prayer warrior Miss Clara, played by Karen Abercrombie. “Oh, it’s wonderful, just to step back into her shoes, put her wig back on,” shares Abercrombie. “She really has been one of my favorite characters to play for many reasons. The opportunity to take the message of prayer around the world, the importance of it and the power of it. Just being able to embody that character again, breathe life back into her again, it’s quite wonderful for me.”

Cameron Arnett plays the important character of Joshua, mentor to Isaiah. Says Arnett, “Whenever I get an opportunity to testify of the Kendricks, what I say about their set is that it’s like a slice of heaven. This is what Christianity is supposed to be like. This is what the church is supposed to be like. The synergy, the oneness, the seamlessness, the prayer, the camaraderie, the laughter, the joy, the celebration of other people. I mean, all of those things just kind of come readily on the set.”

In the movie, Isaiah Wright, the young man whose story is being told in “The Forge,” crosses paths with Joshua, the owner of Moore Fitness, who offers Isaiah a job with one stipulation: they meet together regularly in a mentoring relationship. 

Bringing life to Isaiah is newcomer Aspen Kennedy. “Isaiah has so many centerpieces around him – his mom, his friends, basketball,” says Kennedy. “But in a way he’s still trying to overcompensate his confidence because he lacked that father figure… I love Isaiah’s journey. I love how he goes from not having that father figure to meeting Joshua and just really taking off from there because he wants to be poured into; he lacks that, so it’s a beautiful journey to experience.”

The mentoring relationship between Joshua and Isaiah is one of the most inspiring parts of the film. Audiences get to see the relationship between the two deepening as Joshua moves from mentoring to discipling Isaiah – guiding the younger man to grow in his faith.

The young Kennedy says it best: “I definitely want the audience to take away the power of forgiveness, the power of letting go. It’s the power of pouring into others, the power of investing in others, and just really understanding that we should think less of ourselves because that’s the posture that we can serve others best.”

Why The Forge?

Director Alex explains the movie’s title. “Spiritually speaking, when the Lord puts us in a forge, He works on us spiritually, to build and grow and sharpen our faith, our character, our beliefs,” Alex says. “Sometimes that comes through a level of pressure, a level of spiritual heat, if you will. And so we titled this movie ‘The Forge’ because of what it does to us spiritually.”

Offering a wide array of choices and diverse content is one of the commitments of Ayala Malls Cinemas to its patrons, movie lovers who go to the cinemas to watch movies the best way possible – on the big screen. From big blockbusters to critically acclaimed independent features to niche titles such as the faith-based “The Forge,” Ayala Malls Cinemas has something for everyone.

No matter what genre they choose, movie lovers get to have an enhanced movie-watching experience, thanks to state-of-the-art facilities, including plush seating, generous legroom, cutting-edge laser projections, and superior audio technologies like Dolby Sound and Dolby Atmos. And what movie time is complete without snacks? At the Movie Snackbar, guests can enjoy different-flavored popcorn, hotdog sandwiches and cold drinks for a chill and relaxing movie-watching experience. 

For more information on screening schedules and to book tickets for “The Forge” and other titles, movie enthusiasts are encouraged to visit the Ayala Malls Cinemas FB and IG pages and www.sureseats.com

Prepare to grow in faith and be inspired. Watch “The Forge,” now showing exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas.

_{Photo and Video Credit: CrystalSky Entertainment / Ayala Malls Cinemas}