The official trailer for the upcoming historical drama “A Great Awakening” was released Monday, Feb. 23, offering the first extended look at a feature film centered on the relationship between evangelist George Whitefield and statesman Benjamin Franklin in the years leading up to the American Revolution.
The film, produced by Sight & Sound Theatres in partnership with Roadside Attractions, is scheduled for an exclusive nationwide theatrical release April 3, 2026, as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary.
Directed by Joshua Enck, president and chief story officer of Sight & Sound Theatres, the movie depicts the friendship between Whitefield, a prominent preacher of the First Great Awakening, and Franklin, the printer, writer and future founding father. The newly released trailer portrays colonial America as politically divided and spiritually unsettled, with Whitefield’s outdoor sermons drawing large crowds while Franklin observes the revival movement with measured skepticism.
The film explores how the two men — despite theological differences — developed a relationship marked by debate, mutual respect and collaboration. Franklin, who published Whitefield’s sermons and supported his ministry through printing and promotion, is presented as both critic and ally.
“As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, we’re honored to share this inspiring story of friendship, faith and courage,” Enck said in a statement announcing the trailer’s release. “It’s a timely reminder that the soul of a nation is shaped not just by laws, but by the convictions of its people.”
Set during the period preceding the American Revolution, the film situates the spiritual revival known as the First Great Awakening within the broader political tensions of the 18th-century colonies. Whitefield’s preaching tours in the 1730s and 1740s drew thousands across colonial America and are widely credited by historians with contributing to a shared religious identity among disparate colonies.
Producers describe the film as the “true story of an unlikely friendship” between Whitefield and Franklin during a period of colonial instability. It portrays Whitefield’s sermons as helping unite audiences across denominational and regional lines, while Franklin’s involvement underscores the interplay between faith, print culture and emerging political thought.
