John Michael Finley Is ‘Really Excited’ To Reprise His Role as Bart Millard in ‘I Can Only Imagine 2’

Actor John Michael Finley played MercyMe frontman Bart Millard in the hit 2018 film “I Can Only Imagine,” titled after MercyMe’s song of the same name. Now, Finley is set to reprise his role in the movie’s sequel, “I Can Only Imagine 2,” and he is thrilled about it.

“I’m really excited,” he said in an interview with ChurchLeaders. “I’m getting excited for everybody else to get excited, you know, because I’m kind of on the inside. I’ve read the script and we’ve got kind of a game plan, and I think people are going to be really excited.”

‘I Can Only Imagine 2’ Continues Bart Millard’s Story 

“I Can Only Imagine” was a hit at the box office, opening in third place behind “Black Panther” and “Tomb Raider.” It grossed over $83 million domestically and over $86 million worldwide. The film told the true story of Bart Millard, lead singer of the Christian band MercyMe, and his struggles with an abusive father, played by Dennis Quaid (“Reagan,” “Frequency”).

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Finley told ChurchLeaders, “I’ve kind of fallen in love with telling true stories.” Finley’s latest film is “Faith of Angels,” which is premiering on Great American Family Saturday, April 18. That film tells the true story of Joshua Dennis, who as a boy in the 1980s became lost in an abandoned mine for five days but whose community persisted in faith that he would be found alive.

In that movie, Finley plays John Skinner, the man whose detailed knowledge of the mine led to Dennis’ rescue. “I think people love true stories,” Finley said. “I think people love stories that they can get wrapped up in.”

“I Can Only Imagine 2” is set to be released in March 2026 and continues Millard’s story. Dennis Quaid is returning, and other cast members include Milo Ventimiglia (“This Is Us,” “Gilmore Girls”), Joshua Bassett (“High School Musical: The Musical: The Series”), Trace Adkins (“Old Henry,” “Deepwater Horizon”), Sophie Skelton, and Arielle Kebbel (“John Tucker Must Die,” “The Grudge 2”).

When he appeared in “I Can Only Imagine,” Finley said, “I had never really played a real person. And this is the second time now, with ‘Faith of Angels,’ that not only have I gotten to do a true story, but I’ve gotten to play a real person and that person is still alive, and I can kind of fellowship and chat with that person.”

RELATED: ‘I Learned a Lot About Faith’—Actor John Michael Finley Speaks to ChurchLeaders About His Film ‘Faith of Angels’