Thanks to your support, Excel Entertainment has been able to release several great movies over the years. Last year, Just Let Go was released to acclaim by audiences and critics alike. Chris Williams’ inspiring true story translated well to film, which captured its heart with moving performances and screenplay. Filmmakers are continually looking for great stories, especially true stories, to fuel their creativity and provide us with good movies.

Now that Excel Entertainment’s work on Just Let Go is complete, the filmmakers are looking for new material and ideas. They want you to be a part of that process; they want to know what you would like to see next. Do you have a favorite story that you’d like to see at the movie theater? Perhaps you have some of your own ideas. Let me share a few of mine.

Excel Entertainment has produced two films based upon the exodus of the Latter-day Saints across the plains, five if you include The Work and the Glory films. The depth of their faith, sacrifice, tenacity, and heart provided for some excellent stories significant not only as historical drama, but also as embodiments of the best humanity has to offer. I am sure there are many more stories to tell about the great trek, but there are other stories of the early saints also noteworthy. I would like to see a movie dedicated to the Mormon Battalion–a film to explore not only personal stories, but also to illustrate the inspiration for and conception of the army.

Similarly, I would be curious to see a character portrayal of Brigham Young after he enters the Salt Lake Valley. What was it like to step into the Saint’s long sought Zion and feel the weight of what was to be done? I wonder if we could get inside his head, and the heads of other key players as well.

There are of course several stories from early Church history that could be portrayed in films, but some lesser known stories include those of the early missionaries to the Native Americans. What was it like to go on a mission to a people descended from a principle civilization depicted in the recently translated Book of Mormon? Again, I think it would be interesting to see not only stories of events, but also character depictions.

Many stories of other Christian reformers, such as William Tyndale, would be good film material. These inspired individuals lived devotedly and sacrificed everything for their beliefs. Their stories are often referenced, but I don’t know of a film adaptation that dramatized them.

My final idea is a little different than the rest. It has a lot less source material and would require some significant extrapolation on the part of the filmmakers. It could also be done very poorly if not handled right. The story of the children of the Anti-Nephi-Lehis from the Book of Mormon is well-known among Mormons, and I think the circumstances surrounding the story is very dramatic. I wonder what it would be like to view the events through the eyes of the children, the mothers, and the fathers who were there. I think there is some room for psychologically complex drama. It may be easy to make this overly dramatic, heavy-handed, stigmatic, or satirical. However, in the hands of skilled filmmakers, I could see a rendition of a poignant story of loss, courage, and faith.

There are many possibilities for good movies and Excel Entertainment is all ears. What would you like to see? You can submit your ideas at https://excelentertainment.com/.