Is The Forge a Sequel to War Room?

Released theatrically on August 23, 2024, The Forge is an uplifting faith-based drama with a positive message about righting past wrongs and starting life anew. Directed by Alex Kendrick from a screenplay he wrote with his brother Stephen Kendrick, the inspirational story concerns Isaiah Wright (Aspen Kennedy), a wayward teenager lacking direction. When he is forced to get a job or move out of his childhood home, Isaiah finds newfound hope in unlikely places.

The Forge marks the ninth movie made by the Kendrick brothers and the sixth produced by their company, Kendrick Brothers Productions. The first film released under the production shingle was 2015’s War Room, which features crossover characters with The Forge, leaving some wondering if the two are related. While not an official sequel, a closer look at the dramatic narrative connection between War Room and The Forge is in order.

What Is War Room About?

Before contextualizing The Forge, synopsizing its dramatic cousin, War Room, is vital. Conceived by devout Christian siblings Alex and Stephen Kendrick, War Room is a faith-based biblical drama that imparts moral lessons between right and wrong. The plot follows Tony (T.C. Stallings) and Elizabeth Jordan (Priscilla Shirer), a seemingly successful couple in the pharmaceutical and real estate businesses. Despite their financial success, Tony and Elizabeth struggle to keep their romance afloat, with the former always away on business and acting jealous and abusive towards the latter. Danielle, Tony and Elizabeth’s daughter, is caught in the middle of the domestic quibble.

Everything changes for Elizabeth when she meets an older woman named Miss Clara (Karen Abercrombie), who imparts moral pearls of wisdom and helps her overcome the strife at home. Clara begins praying for Tony to clean up his act and treat Elizabeth better and encourages Elizabeth to do the same. Clara implores Elizabeth to pray inside the “War Room,” a makeshift closet inside the house Elizabeth helps her sell. Once she begins vigorously praying, Tony becomes physically ill during a potential affair with another woman while away on business. Believing in Clara’s advice, Elizabeth continues to channel the power of prayer until Tony hits rock bottom and turns to the bible for help in the profound religious movie.

Once Tony’s marriage and career fall apart, he turns to God and improves his behavior. After confessing his sins and working to atone, Tony begins coaching his daughter’s Double Dutch jump-roping team and becomes a positive role model. Hired as the director of the local community center for half the pay as his pharmaceutical job, Tony is much happier with his life decisions at the end of War Room. Nine years later, Tony and Elizabeth appear in the Kendrick brothers’ The Forge.

What Is The Forge About?

Released nearly a decade after War Room, The Forge is a Christian spin-off movie that features some of the same characters. The story follows Isaiah Wright (Kennedy), an unmotivated 19-year-old high school graduate who wastes time playing video games and basketball. Lost with no direction or guidance, Isaiah’s single mother, Cynthia Wright (Priscilla Shirer), challenges him to get a job or move out of the house. Facing the ultimatum, Isaiah takes a job at Moore Fitness and struggles to adapt to his position manufacturing gym equipment.

Over time, Isaiah finds spiritual guidance from his elderly boss, Joshua Moore (Cameron Arnett), and meets Miss Clara (Karen Abercrombie) from War Room. Other characters from the previous film that appear in The Forge include Tony Jordan (Stallings), and his wife Elizabeth (Shirer). Joshua introduces Isaiah to The Forge, a Christian prayer group that meets regularly. The more Isaiah attends The Forge, the more organized he becomes, and his life improves. However, when a crisis hits Moore Fitness, Isaiah’s newfound faith is tested in ways he never thought possible.

As Isaiah finds direction, the movie explores Joshua’s past and what led him to create The Forge. Meanwhile, Priscilla constantly worries about her son’s station in life and pushes him to find meaning. The Forge connects to War Room the strongest through Cynthia Williams, the twin sister of Elizabeth Jordan, both played by Priscilla Shirer.

The Forge Is a Spin-Off Not a Sequel

To be upfront, The Forge is technically a spin-off, not a sequel to War Room. The two stories exist in the same cinematic universe yet have little bearing on each other. Although Isaiah’s aunt and uncle, Tony and Elizabeth, provide connective tissue to The Forge, the story is about Isaiah walking a moral path of righteousness under the guidance of Joshua and his mother, Cynthia. At the same time, Cynthia and Elizabeth are twin sisters, but the connection between the two movies ends there. Miss Clara also bridges the two stories without providing an official continuation of the Tony and Elizabeth saga.

The distinction between a sequel and a spin-off appeared to pay off for the Kendrick siblings. War Room boasts a paltry 26 Metascore and 32% Rotten Tomatoes rating, indicating widespread negative response. By contrast, The Forge has six out of seven positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes thus far (and a 100% audience score), with only one negative detractor. If the positive reviews continue, chances are the worthwhile spin-off movie will perform better at the box office. War Room grossed $73.2 million against a $3 million budget (via Box Office Mojo), while The Forge has already amassed $7.2 million in its first five days (via Box Office Mojo).

Although The Forge is technically a spin-off and not a sequel, The Kendricks have delivered another inspirational tale that uses faith and prayer as a motivational change agent. Whether they spend another decade writing and directing a second War Room spin-off, The Forge proves good things come to those who wait.

The Forge is currently playing in select cinemas.