Rascal Flatts’ ‘Bless the Broken Road’ Inspires a Faith-Based Film

The popular song “Bless the Broken Road,” which was recorded by an assortment of country artists before Rascal Flatts took it to the top of the charts in 2005, serves as the inspiration for a new faith-based film from the director of the God’s Not Dead franchise.

According to Deadline, Harold Cronk co-wrote the script and will oversee the filming of God Bless the Broken Road, which will center on a young mother who becomes a widow when her military husband dies overseas. The script is reported to include stock car racing along with the military and faith elements. Filming will take place in Manistee and Grand Rapids, Michigan, with a theatrical release expected in late 2016 or early 2017.

Cronk, a Michigan native, released God’s Not Dead in 2014 and grossed over $62 million on a small budget. The sequel, God’s Not Dead 2, was released in April 2016.

Written by Marcus Hummon and Bobby Boyd with Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s Jeff Hanna,”Bless the Broken Road” was originally recorded by NGDB for their 1994 album Acoustic, followed by Hummon’s own version for the 1995 album All in Good Time. Singer Melonie Crittenden released her version as a single in 1998, making it to Number 42 on the Billboard chart. Rascal Flatts’ version, which appears on the 2004 album Feels Like Today, was a multi-week Number One hit that has exceeded the two million paid downloads mark.