Zachary Levi says Hollywood didn't 'really care' about faith-based films until there was money to be made

Zachary Levi has traded in his superhero suit for a true-life story steeped in faith and American history.

The "Sarah's Oil" star exclusively told Fox News Digital the reason this film is finally being made reveals more about Hollywood than anyone expected.

When asked why Hollywood ignored it for so long, Levi didn't hesitate to answer.

"Well, I think a lot of people just didn't know the story. That's why a lot of people hadn't made this movie," he said.

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But he also pointed to a shift inside the industry. 

"Faith-based movies or faith-infused movies, really in the last 10 years, have started to show just how effective and lucrative they can be … which is why a lot of studios have spun up branches of the studio to focus on those types of films." 

Levi added that earlier eras of Hollywood simply weren't interested until studios realized how strong the audience was.

"Prior to 10 years ago, I don't know that anybody would have touched it because I don't think Hollywood really cared until they saw that there was money that could be made in that world. … There's a lot of really faithful people that go to church regularly and want stories that reflect their same faith."

For Levi, whose personal faith has been front and center in his public life, the spiritual lens does shape his career.

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"There are certainly roles and projects that I have chosen to pass on because I just felt like there was no way I could see any kind of redemption in them," he said. 

But that doesn't mean only religious films make the cut.

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"I've done plenty of things that have nothing to do with faith. But they still have elements … that are redemptive. You know, good triumphant over evil, stories that embolden people, inspire people, give them courage, give them hope."

Levi's career pivot - from the bright, explosive world of "Shazam!" to the gritty heartland realism of "Sarah's Oil" - reflects a deliberate shift toward purpose-driven storytelling.

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When Fox News Digital asked what changed for Levi in the Hollywood industry when it comes to deciding roles, he replied, "It's always a case-by-case basis.

"I look at the script first and foremost. Is this a good story? Is it worth telling? Is it well-written?"

He also examines whether the role pushes him creatively.

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"Is that a character I would want to portray? Is it a challenge for me? … I don't want to just play the same thing over and over again."

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But, ultimately, Levi said the real Hollywood compass - the one that has steered him from comic book hero to historical storyteller - is spiritual.

"There's not any particular specific type of movie that I want to do," he said. "I kind of let God guide me."

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Levi's latest project, "Sarah's Oil" - produced by Amazon Studios and Kingdom Story Company - tells the astonishing true-life saga of Sarah Rector, a young Black girl born in early-1900s Oklahoma Indian Territory who defied poverty and prejudice to become one of America's first Black female millionaires at just 11 years old. 

The project has been years in the making, and Levi said it's been worth it every step along the way.

"When I read the script, I was blown away," the actor told Fox News Digital. "It was an absolutely true story about this young Black girl at the turn of the century in Tulsa, Oklahoma … who was intelligent and precocious and spirit-filled."

Levi portrays Bert Smith, a friend of main character Sarah who helps tap into the oil beneath her land. He described their relationship as "business partners." 

"Sarah's Oil" is now playing in theaters.