EXCLUSIVE: Faith-Based Film ‘Elijah Peel’ Gives Glory to God With Message of Hope and Redemption

EKKL Entertainment’s new film, “Elijah Peel,” tells the story of a rock star who hits bottom, only to bounce back through the glory of God, as he forms an unlikely friendship that makes him a better man.

Peel, played by Robert Malcolm Cumming, is a successful musician leading a hedonistic lifestyle of addiction and excess. It all comes to a screeching halt, however, after he suffers a heart attack. While in the hospital, Peel meets a terminally ill young patient named Jessica, played by Evelyn Grace Kite.

Their special bond leads Peel on a journey of self-discovery and salvation, complete with powerful musical tracks sung by Cumming, who started his career as a musician.

In exclusive interviews with The Western Journal, Cumming, Kite, and writer-director Kevin Sepe discussed what the film meant to them and how their faith played a major role throughout the project.

Sepe said he based the screenplay on his own life struggles. He entrusted Cumming to convey the story.

WJ’s Nick Givas talks with “ELIJAH PEEL” stars Robert Malcolm Cumming and Evelyn Grace Kite, a faith-based drama about a fame-and-addiction-ravaged rock star whose life is turned around by his bond with a terminally ill young girl. Inspired by director Kevin D. Sepe’s own story.… pic.twitter.com/9Po2Y6BNbC

— The Western Journal (@WesternJournalX) August 6, 2026

“[Kevin] gave me a lot of creative liberties, but we had so much time together. I got to hear his story of Elijah Peel,” Cumming said. “And I think [Kevin] put it this way a little while back, and I loved it — He’s like, ‘It’s not the whole truth. It’s based off a thousand or a million truths of his own life’” — mainly, his struggle with addiction, his musical talent, and his trust in God.

When asked if it was difficult to play such a mature role, 9-year-old Kite replied: “I come up with a back story, think about the scene, and get into character — whatever makes sense — and that makes me know the lines. And just like Jessica, I know I’m going to die, so I’m not afraid to die. But I don’t want to die … but I also want to go see God.”

Sepe praised her acting skills, calling her a “unicorn” with amazing range.

Cumming said the film’s message is so strong that strangers have approached him “in tears” during screenings to say how much the story meant to them personally. “It humbled me so hard,” he recalled.

When Sepe spoke with The Western Journal, he said, “I’m not a rock star. So everything is metaphoric. But I lived a rock star existence, and [I’ve been] a musician my whole life, and I’ve been around music my whole life, and I’ve been in the entertainment space my whole life.”

He added, “I was also extremely successful. I had a lot of money. I could do anything I wanted. And with that, came opportunities to misuse all that … I’m an addict and an alcoholic. But I’m in recovery … I’ve gone through phases where I even let that go back … I was on a crash course with life, and there are consequences.”

Sepe said he’s formed a strong connection with Jesus and came to realize the importance of how filmmakers present the Lord on screen.

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“[We’re] talking about real life … Show these problems,” he proclaimed. “Don’t candy-coat them. Don’t do that. Why? Because Jesus is real. God is real. Jesus is here for the sinner. He’s among the worst of us … Jesus is there for you in your worst moments. So why are we afraid to show the worst moments? It demonstrates the love of God and redemptive nature, and the healing, and the unbelievable love that He has for us.”

Sepe said most people who are struggling with heavy burdens feel alone and think they can’t talk to anybody, but all we have to do is open the door a little bit so we can call on Christ for help.

“It’s the lie that the dark one tells you,” he explained. “He loves when we’re sick. He loves when we keep stuff to ourselves. It’s up to us, who’ve been gifted as either filmmakers, or writers, or musicians, or speakers, or whatever your place is in this world, to recognize that there are people who really, really need some perspective, because they’re hurting.”

He’s hoping the film will have a unifying effect and remind people that they can count on one another — and God — to be saved.

“We’re all the same. We suffer. We are all made by the same [creator].” Sepe concluded. “All of these problems are not that unique, and there are other people just like you. And together, with the help of God, we can all come out of it. But call his name, take that risk.”

These are the sorts of movies Hollywood should be making, but instead, they’ve turned their back on Christianity in favor of secular storytelling and negative narratives.

This film seeks to give audiences a meaningful story while giving the glory to God in each scene. It’s hard not to see the hand of divine intervention here, and that’s what makes it so special.

“Elijah Peel” hits theaters on Aug. 14

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