Director Sean McNamara on 'Shadrach' And His Love for Family Entertainment

The director behind some of Hollywood’s most beloved family films says he wants to help “bring back” movies that everyone can watch together, inspiring both parents and kids alike. Filmmaker Sean McNamara is the director behind such films as Soul Surfer (2011), Hoovey (2015), The Miracle Season (2018), and On a Wing and a Prayer (2023). His latest project, the Great American Pure Flix series Shadrach, follows the story of a family whose lives are changed when they encounter a mysterious horse.  

“I like something that the whole family can watch together,” McNamara told Crosswalk Headlines. “And the things that I grew up on, like the Waltons or Brady Bunch -- those are the sorts of things that I want to bring back to the new generation.”

Shadrach, he said, still has “some edge to it” but is “done in a way that the whole family” can watch. If “you are faith-adjacent or faith-based, you will enjoy it even more,” he added. 

McNamara has directed more than 70 projects but is perhaps best known for Soul Surfer, which recounted the true story of surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack. It starred Anna Sophia Robb, Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt, and Carrie Underwood. 

“If I had lost my arm to a shark attack, I think I would never get back in the ocean,” McNamara said. She goes, ‘Not only am I gonna get back in the ocean—I’m going to compete at the highest level’—and she does it. So I like making stories that show people going up against incredible odds, fighting back, and being able to move on with that.’ 

Listen to Michael's interview with Sean to hear everything they talked about!

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