KJ Apa to star as WWII veteran Jimmy Stewart in biopic

The life of Jimmy Stewart is coming to the big screen.

First reported by Variety, KJ Apa (“Riverdale”) has signed on to star as World War II veteran and famed “It’s a Wonderful Life” star, Jimmy Stewart, in the upcoming film, “Jimmy.”

“I have always been a huge James Stewart fan and feel so honored I get to bring his story to life,” Apa told the outlet. “I’ve long admired that generation of American men who stood for patriotism, integrity, and a deep sense of duty. It is important to me to give back to a country that has given me so much, and what better way to do that than by honoring a man who served it with great honor.”

The movie will chronicle Stewart’s rise in Hollywood — including his Academy Award-winning performance in “The Philadelphia Story” — before his enlistment in the U.S. Army Air Corps in March 1941, shortly before the branch became the U.S. Army Air Forces.

For his part, Stewart’s fight began long before he entered the war. The 6-foot-3 Stewart weighed only 138 pounds, and the Army initially turned him down.

According to Richard L. Hayes, Stewart began eating “spaghetti twice a day, supplemented with steaks and milkshakes. At a second physical in March 1941, he still hadn’t gained quite enough weight to be eligible, but he talked the Army doctors into adding an ounce or two so he could qualify, then ran outside shouting to fellow actor Burgess Meredith: ‘I’m in! I’m in!’”

Stewart subsequently served as a combat pilot, an experience that would shape his life and his acting forever more. Less than a year after his return home, Stewart famously starred in Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

Starring alongside Apa is Jason Alexander (“Seinfeld”) as Louis B. Mayer; Max Casella (“Boardwalk Empire”) as Frank Capra; and Jen Lilley (“General Hospital”) as Gloria Stewart.

Aaron Burns, director and producer of the film, told Variety, “Jimmy Stewart is universally beloved as an actor. He truly embodied the everyman. We all know him from ‘It’s A Wonderful Life,’ but as I discovered his real-life story as a World War II military hero, I realized Jimmy’s life makes for an amazing movie. I’m truly honored that Kelly Stewart-Harcourt and the Stewart family have entrusted Burns & Co. to share ‘Jimmy’ with the world, and I’m excited to see KJ Apa and the rest of our amazing cast bring this story to life.”

Stewart’s daughter Kelly Stewart-Harcourt serves as executive producer of the film.

“My family and I are delighted and excited that KJ Apa has agreed to play my father in this film,” she said. “In addition to his considerable acting skills, KJ’s enthusiasm for the project will only add to the energy and depth he will bring to the role.”

Principal photography is slated to begin in West Cork, Ireland, on Sept. 1, with a U.S. theatrical release slated for November 2026.