When producers Camille and Emmanuel Kampouris first read Eric Metaxas’ 2010 biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, they knew the German theologian’s story needed to be brought to the big screen.

“We read the book by Eric Metaxas, which he published in 2010 I believe, and it’s biography of Bonhoeffer, and it became a bestseller, and very readable book,” said Emmanuel. “So that was what inspired us.”

The Kampourises decided to take matters into their own hands when Hollywood producers showed interest in the rights but failed to get a film made.

“We decided to help and say, ‘Okay, what we need to do is write a script, and that’s it. We’ll fund the script, and then you can take it on from there,” Emmanuel said. “Well, that was famous last words.”

What the couple thought would be a year-long process turned into a 12-year journey to bring “Bonhoeffer” to theaters. The film required three screenwriters, two script doctors, several consultants and two directors before it was ready.

“If God told us early on what it would entail. It’s actually been 12 years now, we would have maybe said, ‘Oh, Lord, I don’t know if that’s for us,’ but yeah, one step at a time, and we just got, you know, more and more into it,” said Camille.

The film centers on Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s real-life participation into the epicenter of a deadly plot to assassinate Hitler. With his faith and fate at stake, Bonhoeffer must choose between upholding his moral convictions or risking it all to save millions of Jews from genocide.

The Kampourises are grateful that independent film distributor Angel Studios took on the project, as getting distribution for independent films has become increasingly difficult.

“The fact that we have Angel studios on our side is something that we’re very thankful for, and I think it’s moving forward,” Emmanuel said.

Camille is especially thankful that the film will have a theatrical release, allowing audiences to experience the movie as it was intended.

“What I love about theatrical distribution is that you get to watch a movie in community,” she said. “We’re too much watching movies and our phone and our iPads, and it’s just not how they were meant to be watched. They’re meant to be experienced.”

The Kampourises hope the film will inspire viewers, especially Christians, to live out their faith boldly, like Bonhoeffer did.

“One hope is that somehow the movie could raise up or inspire men and women young and old. He was very young in this movie. When you start to be the kind of Christian Bonhoeffer was, to be all in, no matter the cost, lose your life for Christ’s sake, and you’ll find it,” Camille said.

Emmanuel added, “Bonhoeffer said that faith without action is no faith at all. Not to speak is to speak, not to act is to act.”

Camille knows a thing or two about living out her faith in a secular environment. Before producing “Bonhoeffer,” she worked as a puppeteer on “Sesame Street” for 10 seasons.

“I was the church girl that you know it was, is very evident that you’re in church or You’re doing other things,” she said. “It wasn’t as hostile a world for Christians. I was working in the late 80s and through the 90s, you know, but you were certainly looked at as eccentric or something. I had a dramatic conversion, so I just fell in love with the Lord, and think it was clear to people, I tried to live according to the gospel, and to always serve the people at Muppets.”

Camille said her faith was evident to her co-workers, who would sometimes comment on her pre-shoot prayer routine or her habit of silently reciting Scripture.

“One of the puppeteers, the captain who was Elmo, he came up and said, ‘Camille, you don’t ever look nervous, but then, just before the just at the countdown, you start rehearsing your lines like crazy,’ and I said, ‘I’m actually saying a verse’.”

The couple’s “day job” actually revolves around scripture. Bible Mesh is an online theological education site that aims to curb biblical illiteracy. They are now rolling out an 8-week course based on the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, coinciding with the film’s premiere.

“We’re very fortunate that we have a wonderful young professor, he’s a powerful specialist,” Emmanuel said. “It’s very inspirational, very helpful for the average (person) to understand what’s going on. It explains it quite nicely.”

“Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin,” directed by Todd Komarnicki (“Sully”) and starring Jonas Dassler, August Diehl, Moritz Bleibtreu, Clarke Peters, and David Johnson, releases Nov. 22 from Angel Studios.

DEWAYNE HAMBY has covered faith-based music, movies, television, books, and the retail industry for more than 30 years. He is a film member of the Critics Choice Association and the author of the book Gratitude Adjustment. Connect with him at on Facebook, X, YouTube or InstaGram.