Blinded by rage and the scars of a brutal past, convicted murderer Arnold Munoz seeks revenge behind bars for his sister’s death—until a divine force intervenes, setting him on a path he never expected.

 
 
 

ABOut the true characters

 

Arnold Munoz

A convicted murderer serving a life sentence in Texas for avenging the brutal killing of his stepfather. Now sharing a prison block with his sister’s killer, Horatio, he’s ready to take justice into his own hands once again — but the ongoing love he receives from his mother, Simona, is making him question if violence is his only recourse. 

HORATIO BANKS

A ruthless street thug whose life of violence culminated in an altercation with Arnold’s sister, Irma, in which he killed the young woman. A religious conversion in prison changes his heart but doesn’t free him from the consequences of his crimes, perhaps most personified by the looming presence of Arnold Munoz. 

 

Irma Munoz

Raised in the same harsh world as her older brother Arnold, Irma steadfastly refused to participate in the violence and crime around her. Often a voice of reason and source of light in Arnold’s life, it was all the more tragic when she died at the hands of Horatio Banks after she rebuffed his advances at a bar. 

SIMONA MUNOZ

A woman who has faced more than her fair share of grief, Simona cannot bear the thought of her son Arnold slipping further into the dark hopeless pit of revenge. Her patience, steadfast love, and committed faith are the only thing standing between Arnold and his worst tendencies.

CHAUNCEY HIBBS

A larger than life (literally and figuratively) convict with more ink than anybody we’ve ever met. When Arnold lands in prison, Chauncey is there to greet him as his new cellmate. And despite Arnold’s bitterness, Chauncey’s good-old-boy southern humor and grace win him over.

 
 

The Team

 

BRANDON CLARK

Director

Brandon Clark started directing and producing TV pilots and commercials in 2004. After directing award winning music videos, he moved on to the commercial advertising world including commercials with Neal Patric Harris, Billy Ray Cyrus and Jamie Foxx.

Following that he began working with Joss Whedon and Kevin Hart in the development of feature films. His film credits as director include A LITTLE WOMEN'S CHRISTMAS, JUST JAKE, THE HAPPY CAMPER and THE ENGAGEMENT PLOT, and the true story of the life of the greatest coach of all time, JOHN WOODEN, now in development.

 

Brian Bird

Writer / Producer

Brian Bird is an award-winning writer and producer who has worked on projects large and small across his three-plus decades in the film and television industry He is the co-creator and executive producer of the top-rated hit Hallmark Channel cable series WHEN CALLS THE HEART, now prepping its 13th season.

He has written and/or produced nearly three dozen films, including THE HEART OF MAN, THE CASE FOR CHRIST, CAPTIVE, NOT EASILY BROKEN, THE ULTIMATE LIFE and BOPHA. In addition to WHEN CALLS THE HEART, he has written or produced nearly 450 episodes of television, including such shows as WHEN HOPE CALLS, MYSTIC, TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL, STEP BY STEP and EVENING SHADE. On the film side, he is in post-production on two feature-length documentaries, THE STORY OF EVERYTHING and THE DREAM KING, and writing three new narrative feature films, NORTHERN LIGHTS, LIFE AFTER HEAVEN, and THE JOHN WOODEN STORY, all currently in development.

His work on WHEN CALLS THE HEART, THE CASE FOR CHRIST and CAPTIVE have earned him Telly, Christopher, MovieGuide and LA Webfest Awards. His production of son Taylor Bird's screenplay for A LITTLE WOMEN'S CHRISTMAS was the highest-rated Christmas movie of 2024 for Great American Family and won a MovieGuide Award for Best in TV.

 
 
 

Taylor Bird

Writer / Producer

An award-winning screenwriter and producer, Taylor Bird’s writing and producing credits include romantic comedy films. THE ENGAGEMENT PLOT (2022), HAPPY CAMPER (2023), and JUST JAKE (2023) — three of UPtv’s most-watched movies of all time — as well as A LITTLE WOMEN’S CHRISTMAS (2024), which won the MovieGuide Award for Best in TV.

Before entering the TV and film industry, Taylor spent a decade on full- time staff at two California megachurches — as middle school pastor at Southwest Church in Palm Springs, and as writer, editor, and project manager at Saddleback Church in Orange County — in addition to serving as associate editor for Outreach magazine in Colorado Springs.

 

Audra Kelly

Producer

Founder of Cowboy Sweetheart Films, Audra developed bootstrap credentials by starting at the bottom and working her way up in radio, stage and film. In the mid-80s, she made her mark as a producer and choreographer of shows for nightclubs and later as an actress on stage.

Her wide ranging background encompasses groundbreaking projects in television, film, theater, radio and fashion. Having managed diverse development and production efforts in films such as THE PELICAN BRIEF, CANDY MAN II, OCCHIO PINOCCHIO, THE CHASE and HEAVEN'S PRISONERS.

 
 
 

Vincent Gonzales

LINE PRODUCER

Vincent G. Gonzales is a DGA Assistant Director/UPM and Co-Producer with decades of experience in feature films, television, and independent cinema. A University of Colorado Boulder alumnus, he launched his career in 1989, steadily climbing through production ranks in Los Angeles and beyond. On the feature side, Vincent has held production roles on blockbusters like TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION, FAST & FURIOUS 6, NEIGHBORS, and RED DAWN. Bringing his logistical acumen from high budget, high-stakes environments to the Indy realm, he provides an environment of safety and efficiency for creative success. His television credentials include work on acclaimed series such as THE WALKING DEAD (AMC), COBRA KAI (Netflix), SAINT X (Hulu), and PROMISED LAND (ABC), where he ensured production pace and creative vision aligned effectively.

In addition, Vincent steps into production leadership roles—serving as Co-Producer on DUST TO MALIBU, BENEATH THE LIGHT, MAKING A KILLING, and ANNABELLE HOOPER and the GHOSTS OF NANTUCKET—demonstrating versatility across creative, logistical, and managerial domains in budgets that can be challenging.

Whether shepherding large-scale action shoots or championing independent stories, Vincent G. Gonzales delivers a solid plan, production integrity, and proven results for Directors, Producers, Investors and audiences alike.

 

Mark Bauer

Associate Producer for Finance

Mark Bauer comes from a rare and distinguished background, having led global anti-terrorism missions as Commander – Global Counter Terrorist Operations for the United Kingdom. Mr. Bauer served as a Tier 1 UK Special Forces Operator and Intelligence Officer prior to his command, including directing multiple operations in the world’s financial capitals and clandestine incursions into its most dangerous geo-hotspots.

More recently Mark has moved into the corporate investment world and is a subject matter expert in digital assets and blockchain technology. Mark’s worldwide experience and tactical relationship building skills are instrumental in his investing analysis and transaction execution.

Mark will lead financing investments and global transactions, including cryptocurrency assets.

 
 

Personal Statement

By Writer / Producer Brian Bird

Early in my career, I interviewed Charles Tex Watson, one of the Manson killers of "Helter Skelter" infamy. He's imprisoned at the California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo. And he told me his own story of impossible redemption, going from a stone-cold killer to getting jailhouse religion. And then he told me the story of Suzan LaBerge, a pen pal from Texas, who began writing to him in prison after hearing about his spiritual transformation. Susan arranged for a prison visit with Tex, and when she got there, she asked him to tell her his whole story again, this time face to face. And so he did. And when he was finished, Suzan said, "Tex, I didn't know if I was going to say this when I got here, but my parents were Leno and Rosemary LaBianca... and you stabbed them to death. " Tex was absolutely stunned. And then Susan continued: "I want you to know... I forgive you." And as Tex recounted this whole story to me, he was sobbing. "When I had my jailhouse conversion, I knew in my head I was forgiven. But it was not until that moment that I knew it in my heart."

In my experience writing or producing two dozen films, including THE CASE FOR CHRIST, NOT EASILY BROKEN, CAPTIVE and THE ULTIMATE LIFE and 450 episodes of television, from TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL, to the current hit I co-created, WHEN CALLS THE HEART -- I’ve discovered a secret about the audience. They are starved for redemption stories. They are starved for hope. And at a time when almost everybody else in our business is serving up razor blades and broken glass, dripping with cynicism -- THERE IS A GOD is going to serve up soul food. Sometimes, impossible grace happens in the darkest corners of our lives. Grace knocks on your door and pays you a visit. Grace shows up and takes you by the hand and says, "never give up. I have plans for you, plans to give you hope and a future." And when grace does that, you are home, even if home is a six-by-nine cell. THERE IS A GOD is an example of "hard faith." It's the maximum contrast between dark and light, where we are not defined by the worst thing we've ever done... and where impossible redemption is always possible. Thank you for considering helping us bring this very important story to the world.