Shubhabrata Dutta
Stormie and Michael Omartian’s life stories will be brought to the screen! The Cinemaholic can confirm that a biopic based on the music couple, ‘Out of Darkness,’ is in development. Principal photography for the project will begin on November 4, 2024, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Brittany Yost is directing the film based on a screenplay she wrote with Ben Barker. The plot centers on how the Grammy Award-winning producer Michael Omartian helps his wife and best-selling author Stormie Omartian overcome past traumas to become a successful artist.
Michael is the first record producer in history to have No. 1 records in three separate decades — the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. In 1980, he was nominated for ten and won three Grammy Awards for Christopher Cross’ debut album ‘Sailing.’ He married Stormie in 1973. She was a professional dancer, singer, and actress who performed in many theatrical productions and served as the backup singer for artists like Ray Charles and Glen Campbell. She recorded five musical albums with her husband in addition to her writing career.
Stormie’s bibliography boasts over fifty books that have sold over 28 million copies worldwide. Her prominent works include ‘The Power of a Praying Wife,’ ‘The Power of a Praying Husband,’ ‘The Power of a Praying Parent,’ and ‘The Power of a Praying Woman.’ The biopic is named after her autobiography ‘Out of Darkness: My Story of Finding True Light and Liberation.’
‘Out of Darkness’ is Yost’s third directorial outing after ‘Volviendo,’ a documentary about three filmmakers researching for their next film about a victim of sex trafficking, and ‘Sweet Inspirations,’ a comedy-drama film about four middle-aged women who join forces to save a local women’s shelter from foreclosure. As a producer, her credits include Andrew Hyatt’s ‘The Blind,’ D. J. Caruso’s ‘Redeeming Love,’ and Harold Cronk’s ‘God’s Not Dead 2.’
Barker is the script supervisor of many notable films, including ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It,’ ‘Thor: Ragnarok,’ ‘Candy Jar,’ and ‘The Strangers: Prey at Night.’ He also co-wrote Yost’s ‘Sweet Inspirations.’
New Orleans is a major filming location for many popular films and shows, including ‘12 Years a Slave,’ ‘Django Unchained,’ and ‘American Horror Story.’
Read More: Cody Lightning to Direct ‘Smudge the Blades’ Next
