Jimmy – KJ Apa will play James Stewart in the new biopic

Burns & Co. Productions announced that KJ Apa has signed to play the lead role of James Maitland Stewart in its upcoming film Jimmy. Apa is known for his lead role in the hit series Riverdale and will star in the upcoming Amazon movie The Map That Leads to You with Madelyn Cline.

“I have always been a huge James Stewart fan and feel so honoured I get to bring his story to life,” Apa said. “As someone from New Zealand, I’ve long admired that generation of American men who stood for patriotism, integrity, and a deep sense of duty. It is important to me to give back to a country that has given me so much, and what better way to do that than by honouring a man who served it with great honour.”

Joining Apa in JIMMY is an all-star ensemble including Jason Alexander as Louis B. Mayer; Max Casella as Frank Capra; Sarah Drew as Hedda Hopper; Julian Works as Second Lieutenant Martinez; and Jen Lilley as Gloria Stewart.

Kelly Stewart-Harcourt, executive producer of JIMMY and Stewart’s daughter, said, “My family and I are delighted and excited that KJ Apa has agreed to play my father in this film. In addition to his considerable acting skills, KJ’s enthusiasm for the project will only add to the energy and depth he will bring to the role.”

Telling the story of America’s most-beloved actor and the iconic role that saved him, JIMMY focuses on the most transformative season in Stewart’s life—from winning the Academy Award® for Best Actor in Philadelphia Story to enlisting and becoming a combat pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps at the beginning of World War II. He flew twenty missions over Europe, rising to the rank of colonel by the end of the war, only to return home broken and disheartened.

Then, George Bailey came calling …

“Jimmy Stewart is universally beloved as an actor. He truly embodied the everyman,” said director and producer Aaron Burns. “We all know him from It’s A Wonderful Life, but as I discovered his real-life story as a World War II military hero, I realized Jimmy’s life makes for an amazing movie. I’m truly honoured that Kelly Stewart-Harcourt and the Stewart family have entrusted Burns & Co. to share JIMMY with the world, and I’m excited to see KJ Apa and the rest of our amazing cast bring this story to life.”

Principal photography is scheduled to begin in West Cork, Ireland, on September 1 with support from the Screen Ireland Nationwide Fund. The U.S. theatrical release is set for November 2026.

In addition to Burns, Justin Strawhand, who wrote the script, will be producing alongside David Cook, Angela Galgani Sullivan, and John Norton of Redted Media.

In addition to Kelly Stewart-Harcourt, executive producers include former Sony executive Andre Caraco, Jack McClintock, Bob Gordon, Sam Juergens, Amy K. Mitchell, Edwina Forkin, Kip Konwiser, Walter Krumm III, F Joseph Krumm, Carolyn & Scott White, and Brian Williams.