Nearly eight years ago Cary Solomon and Chuck Konzelman -  writers, directors, and producers of God's Not Dead and its sequel - wanted to make a western but instead were given a book on abortion.

Nearly 8 years ago, the pair were having coffee outside a local cafe and a woman approached them with Unplanned the book in hand. She explained that they had to read this story and make this movie. Solomon says they were polite but had no plans to make a film about such a tense topic like abortion.

Solomon and Konzelman left the cafe saying to each other, "We're not going to do this kind of movie."

Solomon says, "We made the mistake of going back to our office later and praying on it. The Lord said to us, 'I'd like you to make this movie.'"

The directing duo was unsure as to why God wanted them to tell this story but decided to go all-in, and work towards production, until they continued to pray and were given a yield sign.

"We started to pray more, over the next coming days, and the Lord basically said, 'Not yet.' And we were like, 'What do you mean?' ... He kept saying, 'Not yet' to us," says Solomon.

So then, Konzelman and Solomon waited.

"Four or five years later, perfect timing - the Lord's timing is perfect - what happened was 10 days before Donald Trump was going to get elected here in the States, the Lord said, 'Now'.

"The timing has been absolutely perfect in every aspect because there was a multitude of problems had we done four or five years ago and now it is just the perfect time with the issues and everything else. The Lord is mighty in what He does and in His work."

Unlike any other film

Unplanned was first released in the United States on March 29 this year and was later released in Canada on July 12.

The film has been met with opposition in both countries, but a nearly equal amount of success.

Solomon says, "My mom still likes me but a lot of other people don't.

"Since the movie came out in Canada, we have sold out practically every showing and we were in like 48 or 49 theatres in there which was just amazing that we go that many because, literally,  the movie chains just said, 'No, we're not going to do it. We're not going to show this.'"

Both Solomon and Konzelman say that the movie industry, for a long time, has tried to build itself up as a place of freedom of expression - an art form where one can say and do anything. That is not the case, int heir opinion, at least when the message of your movie goes against their beliefs.

Konzelman says, "There is only - in the artistic community - there is only allowed to be one opinion on this matter."

In April both writers were called in to make a statement before the United States Congress and also have met with President Donal Trump.

Solomon says, "This is not a normal situation for a movie. When is the last time that a movie sold-out theatres in abundance had the highest per-screen average by twice as much of any other movie in all of North America, and then gets half the screens dropped?

"We're just two guys from New Jersey and suddenly you're in front of the President of the United States. You know, that's the way the Lord works: he takes the simple and the weak of the world, and the unwise, and then he puts them before powerful men and then they get to say what the Lord wants. I think that's the case here with this movie."

Beyond the theatre seat

The effects of this film have been felt all around the world before, during, and after the release of this film.

Konzelman says of the stories they have heard from movie-goers: "It's just been overwhelming. There have been tons of people whose lives have been changed. We're seeing - the most surprising has been women who had abortions 20, 30, 40, or even over 50 years ago just being freed from the guilt and the shame - it's a healing process that happens to them when they see the movie."

Solomon tells a story of a miracle on the set of the movie:

"We're making the movie, in secret, in Oklahoma. This girl gets a hold of the script. She's pro-choice, she read the script and becomes pro-life instantly. She wants to work on the movie but she has ... lupus and can't even get out of bed for four or five hours a day.

"A friend takes her down to the movie set and [she] says to us, 'I want to work on the movie.' Movies are a 20 hour a day business - it's insane the amount of work that goes on in a movie -  so, bottom line is, there is no way I can hire her and I feel bad. We had a ministry team [on set] ... they started praying for her and she confessed right there - started to cry - that she had an abortion when she was 19 and fell to her knees.

"Then the mercy and miraculous power of God descended upon her and she was totally healed. She had an absolute miraculous healing on set. ... That's crazy! What does that say to you as a movie maker?"

As of July 22, nearly four months after its American release, Unlpanned has a gross American income of $18,897,350 - being made on a budget of just $6 million.

Solomon says, to those who call it hate propaganda, "It's about love, it's not about hate. It's about redemption, it's about hope, forgiveness - it's a divine act of mercy from the Lord."