Unveiling the Process: Karen Kingsbury’s Notes on Someone Like You

For a long time, I have wanted to make my own movie. As an author, I have a distinct vision of the enchanting stories, rich characters and inspiring messages woven into my work. I spend time in these worlds, breathing the complexities and becoming a reader alongside you.

I feel inspired by potential love that could have been or overwhelming joy at unbelievable miracles that only happen once in a lifetime. This is why I love writing. And projecting these stories I’ve poured my soul into, onto the biggest screen imaginable, was the next step.

However, I’d always dismiss the possibility of that idea. Making a movie is expensive, risky and difficult in every possible way, and I’ve never made one before. The thought felt daunting.

Yet, everything happens for a reason, and I could always feel someone quietly nudging me toward becoming a filmmaker. And here we are! My first film, Someone Like You opens in theaters nationwide and in Canada on April 2^nd, and the journey of how I got to this wonderful, miraculous place is something I want to share with all of you. So…

Let’s go back to the beginning.

At first, since making a movie felt too difficult and too expensive, I continued along the path of letting other people turn my books into movies or TV shows. I felt blessed by the process. But it was never the same as making my own film.

Then in May of 2022, that incredible urge to make a film became a SHOUT. I took the idea to my husband, Donald, and asked his thoughts. It was a moment I’ll never forget. He put his hands on my shoulders and looked me straight in the eyes. He had a thrill in his voice. “Karen, if it takes everything we have, you need to do this!” “I’ll help … and God will provide!”

Donald kept his promise, and in fact my entire family stepped in once we made the decision to take the leap. I had been a sportswriter at the Los Angeles Times after college, and I remembered something from covering Major League Baseball. When an MLB pitcher releases THIS was the time. We opened Karen Kingsbury Productions and together we asked God for an ocean of wisdom, wisdom beyond our own that we would need every step of the way.

The first step was, which book?

I wanted a love story with gorgeous scenery, but I was constrained by two factors: It was my first time making a movie and the fact that I wanted to film it in Nashville, where we lived.

Someone Like You quickly emerged as the obvious answer. A love story that begins with an embryo transfer … one that included a tragic accident … twins four years apart who never met. A story rife with heartbreak, betrayal, redemption and miracles, all set against beautifully cinematic scenes of jet skiing, zoo animals, hiking trails, and a quiet shoreline.

Next, I needed a script, a director, a producer, and a cast – each gargantuan to the process. We’d go nowhere without a script, so I began to write. By the end of the first week of June I had a working script, but it needed help. Tyler Russell, our oldest son – and a very talented screen writer – agreed to come on as my co-writer. Then I asked Tyler the bigger question: Would he be our director. Tyler accepted the offer, and Someone Like You was truly becoming a family affair.

I can say this after completing our first film … I loved it! I loved every minute, even the times I stayed awake puzzling how to solve a problem. The days on set, the love for cast and crew, the excitement as we saw the first 3-hour cut of the film and the joy of sitting in the editing room and helping keep the story on track. I loved it all!

One Hollywood producer watched an early screening of Someone Like You and called me afterwards. “God alone knows how you did this, Karen,” he said. “It’s gorgeous. It looks like a $30 million movie.”

I just smiled and took a breath. “Yes,” I told him. “That’s right. It was God alone.”

If you loved the book, see the movie! If you love the movie, tell your friends. Get your tickets now, because Someone Like You is about to spread love and hope across the nation and Canada. This is a story everyone needs to know about! Because life really can be beautiful, even in the most broken parts.