I Can Only Imagine 2 (2026) Lionsgate/Drama RT: 110 minutes Rated PG (thematic material and some language) Director: Andrew Erwin and Brent McCorkle Screenplay: Brent McCorkle Music: Brent McCorkle Cinematography: Johnny Derango Release date: February 20, 2026 (US) Cast: John Michael Finley, Milo Ventimiglia, Sophie Skelton, Arielle Kebbel, Sammy Dell, Trace Adkins, Dennis Quaid, Jason Burkey, Randy McDowell, Mark Furze.
Rating: ***
Did I miss something? Was anybody clamoring for a sequel to the 2018 musical biopic I Can Only Imagine? I guess so because here we are with I Can Only Imagine 2. The good news is it’s actually pretty good.
Unlike the ones that exist solely to make more money from familiar IP, I Can Only Imagine 2 is a sequel done for the right reason. There is more story to tell. It didn’t just end with Christian rock musician Bart Millard (played again by Broadway actor John Michael Finley) finding his happily ever after with the multiple award-winning song “I Can Only Imagine”, still the record holder for most-played song on Christian radio. He still has demons to conquer and another hit song waiting to be written.
The main focus of I Can Only Imagine 2 is the relationship between Bart and his teenage son Sam (Dell). Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a young child, it’s a big point of contention between father and son. Bart is always on Sam about checking his sugar and taking his insulin. Sam just wants to be left alone to pursue his interest in music. Bart would like to have a closer relationship with Sam, but he’s held back by memories of his own relationship with his abusive father (Quaid, Reagan). He forgave his father after he found God and before he died of pancreatic cancer. He just can’t forget.
It’s band manager Scott Brickell (country singer Adkins) who comes up with the idea of bringing Sam along on the band’s upcoming tour. Surprisingly, Bart’s wife Shannon (Sophie Skelton taking over the role from Madeline Carroll) thinks it’s a great idea too. It’ll give them an opportunity to bond.
A last minute change promotes MercyMe to headliner meaning they have to find a replacement opening act to accompany them. Scott hires Tim Timmons (Ventimiglia, This Is Us), a Christian singer with a daily ritual of drawing an X on his wrist. Always upbeat, he forms a friendship with Sam, making him his personal “guitar tech” and encouraging him to follow his dream of making music. Bart continues to find it difficult to connect with the teen.
I rewatched the first movie earlier in the week and enjoyed it just as much as I did when it came out. It’s a nice movie with a few genuinely touching moments. I Can Only Imagine 2 follows suit with its story of a man finally confronting past trauma and getting over the fear of passing it along to his own son. He does it through faith which allows him to find the courage to speak about it openly. Like its predecessor, the new movie has its fair share of corny dialogue that should elicit groans yet somehow lands. Take this exchange:
Bart: “I’m worried I might break him.”
Shannon: “Or he might fix you.”
Okay, I might have rolled my eyes just a little, but it fits right in with all the drama. And it’s not just father-son stuff. Tim has a story of his own. He’s been keeping something from the band, a secret that most everyone in the audience will have figured out before his big reveal to Bart. It doesn’t matter; the scene still lands.
The performances in I Can Only Imagine 2 are decent. Finley hits the right dramatic notes as Bart, a father first and musician second. He’s struggling to come up with another hit song. That’s the film’s other dramatic arc. It’s no spoiler telling you that he will have a song to sing in the big final scene, namely “Even If” written by Tim and MercyMe’s biggest hit since “I Can Only Imagine”. It’s a nice song. Skelton is good as Shannon even if her character isn’t given much to do besides acting as Bart’s rock. Quaid, who shows up in a few flashback scenes, is quite good as the father looking for redemption. Adkins provides solid support as the band manager and wise sage. He gets his own comic subplot involving a self-help book he’s written.
Ventimiglia basically steals the show as Tim, a singer trying to find his own voice on stage. He’s a touching character who loves the story behind his favorite hymn “It Is Well with My Soul” by Horatio Spafford. He aspires to write a song just as powerful. The character really is the film’s dramatic anchor. Arielle Kebbel (of the After movies) does a good job as his devoted wife.
I’m just going to say that I Can Only Imagine 2 is a good movie. I liked it as much as the first. The music is good if you like Christian rock. The story is compelling and moving. If you liked the original, there’s no reason you won’t like this one too.
