A new movie is set to tell the powerful story of Christian missionaries who boldly and valiantly carried the Gospel message into China.
Director Matt Mikalatos recently told CBN News about the transformational, real-life story behind his upcoming movie “Hudson & Maria,” a remarkable story about legendary missionaries Hudson and Maria Taylor, a husband and wife duo who carried the truth into China in the 1800s.
“Set during the Opium Wars in 19th-century China, ‘Hudson & Maria’ follows the true story of Hudson Taylor, an English missionary who rejects colonial norms and adopts Chinese language, customs, and dress as he seeks to share God’s love in inland China,” an official press release reads. “Alongside him are Maria, his devoted and courageous wife, and Wang Laijun, a loyal Chinese friend whose insight bridges cultures.”
The text continues, “Together, they endure hardship and build deep bonds, telling a powerful story of faith, sacrifice, and cross-cultural connection.”
The movie, produced by Half Crown Media in association with Burns & Co. Entertainment, will begin filming this August in Asia.
Mikalatos told CBN News “Hudson & Maria” will show the Taylors’ radical faith, sacrifice, and passion for sharing the Gospel, something he said will speak powerfully into today’s chaos-filled world. He explained how the couple defied convention in 1800s China and helped spark missions to the nation.
“Many people call [Hudson] the father of modern missions — Protestant missions in particular — because he was one of the first guys to say, ‘Why are we going places like China and expecting them to convert to our culture before they convert to Christ?’” Mikalatos said. “So he went deep in becoming like the Chinese people. He wore Chinese clothes, he became fluent, and tried to share Christ in China as a Chinese person, which has become more the norm for evangelical and Protestant missions.”
“Hudson & Maria” will explore the incredible partnership between Hudson and Maria Taylor, whose passion for ministry and willingness to sacrifice changed countless lives. Mikalatos — himself a former missionary — said the story resonates deeply in today’s world of fear, unrest, and uncertainty.
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“There was a lot of unrest, uncertainty in the world,” he said of the film’s setting. “Disease was running rampant in a way that we have recently experienced. And there was just uncertainty among so many people.”
Mikalatos continued, “In the midst of that, what we see is this 21-year-old…and his fiancée and then wife who looked at the unrest of the world … [and] they … believe[d], like many young believers do, that they could change the world through their commitment to Christ and their willingness to sacrifice. And it turns out they were absolutely correct.”
Mikalatos also shared his own unlikely path from missionary work to Hollywood, calling his entry into filmmaking “supernatural.”
The director revealed this was actually the very first paid script he ever wrote — and now he’s preparing to direct the film adaptation as production ramps up this summer. Fans can learn more and follow updates on the project at HudsonAndMaria.com.
