Duck Dynasty star Sadie Robertson has been cast in a new movie about the 1999 Columbine shooting victim Rachel Joy Scott titled I’m Not Ashamed . Robertson was initially offered to play the lead role of Rachel, but turned it down for a smaller part as she felt she wasn’t yet ready for such a major portrayal of a character. However, she said she had to be a part of the movie and accepted a smaller role as one of Rachel’s cousins from Louisiana.
The Washington Post reports that the faith-based movie I’m Not Ashamed will chronicle the short life of Rachel Joy Scott, the first victim of the 1999 Columbine shooting. The movie is scheduled to be released in April 2016 with producer Chuck Howard noting the date was chosen as it is the 17th anniversary of the shooting and Rachel was 17 when she was shot and killed along with 11 of her classmates and a teacher.
Rachel Joy Scott was the first student killed in the massacre orchestrated by fellow classmates Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. Rachel was thrust into the spotlight after her death when her friend, who was injured in the shooting next to her, detailed the teen’s last moments before her death when she was asked about her faith in God. According to the reports, Rachel was asked if she believed in God before the shooters shot her point-blank in the head.
The movie focuses on Rachel’s faith and life leading up to her death as chronicled by her diaries. In fact, in one of her diary entries, Rachel Scott explained that she one day hoped to touch the lives of millions. Little did she know at the time of her writing that she would, only from beyond the grave.
“Rachel wrote in her journals that she would one day touch the lives of millions. We are honored to help make this dream a reality.”
Sadie Robertson was initially offered the lead role as Rachel Joy Scott, but felt that she wasn’t ready for such a large part but knew she wanted to be a part of the film. The position is not surprising as Sadie recently starred in God’s Not Dead 2: He’s Surely Alive which was a box office hit in the faith-based subset. Though Sadie declined the lead role, producers say that the role as Rachel’s cousin is a perfect fit for Sadie.
“She [Scott] was saved by her cousins in Louisiana, so it worked out perfect. They [the Robertsons] are from Louisiana. Everything worked out the way it was supposed to.”
It seems that faith-based films are making a come-back with the producers of I’m Not Ashamed noting that “a large Hollywood studio” offered $26 million for the rights to the film. However, the producers declined and opted for private funding instead. They explain that the move will help ensure the “integrity” of the project.
[Image Credit: Facebook/ I’m Not Ashamed]
