Director Sean McNamara to helm Will to Win Movie

Sean McNamara (Soul Surfer, The Miracle Season, The King’s Daughter) has signed on to direct the Will to Win Movie.

Producers Russ Kirkpatrick and Andy Kinslow are thrilled to welcome McNamara to the team, saying, “Sean’s successful track record is key to what we imagine will be an incredibly inspiring movie for families across the world.”

In 2023, Mr. McNamara celebrated the 25th anniversary of Brookwell McNamara Entertainment, which he co-founded with business partner David Brookwell in 1998. Together, they have produced over 40 feature films for Paramount Pictures, Republic Pictures, Sony, Tri-Star Pictures, New Line Cinema, Lionsgate, and Universal Studios, to name a few. Their TV movies and series include over 500 episodes for Hulu, Netflix, CBS, ABC, The Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network.

Most recently, McNamara directed On a Wing and a Prayer with Dennis Quaid and Heather Graham (2023). His upcoming films include Bau, Artist at War with Emile Hirsch, On Fire with William H. Macy, and Reagan, also with Quaid, with principal photography having taken place in Oklahoma.

Will To Win is a present-day sports drama about a Native American high school softball star who is sent to live with her traditional Cherokee grandmother in Oklahoma after her parents die in a car crash. When she learns her new school doesn’t have a softball team, she joins the boys’ baseball team. She ultimately seeks advice from legendary Native icon Will Rogers, who she sees in her imagination, as she navigates the challenges of living in a boy's world, including forces who want to see her removed from the team. 

Production is scheduled for this year in Tulsa and northeast Oklahoma.