A biopic about country singer Randy Travis is currently in the works. The film, Forever and Ever, Amen, will feature fellow country artist Clay Walker as Travis.
The film, named after Travis’ signature hit and his 2020 memoir, was announced on Wednesday night at the Grand Ole Opry. It is being helmed by writer and director Andrew Hyatt, who was approached by Travis to transform his life story into a movie.
Travis told People, “I’m so glad that this story is going to get told because it deserves to get told.” Mary Travis, the singer’s wife, added, “This is what we prayed for — for somebody who would tell Randy’s life story just as he lived it.”
Three actors will play Travis at various ages, with Walker playing the singer in his 40s and 50s. Walker will also executive produce the biopic alongside Travis and Mary. Walker noted, “I look at Randy’s life, and I see redemption. This is a man who’s overcome all those challenges. He’s survived it all. Everybody knows that golden voice of his, but I think this movie is going to endear him to people in a whole new way.”
Mary told People that the film will showcase all of Travis’ ups and downs over his storied career. “He had bumps and bruises and rough spots,” she said. “But Randy never, ever ran from those, and he never denied them. He accepted them. He learned from them. He moved on, and he used them as an inspiration for others.”
Although Walker is a singer in his own right, he will not be providing the vocals in Forever and Ever, Amen. The performance scenes will use Travis’ own singing. “This really is about that voice of his,” Walker told People. “Nobody can come even close to getting that right. I can sing pretty good, but I’m no Randy Travis, that’s for sure.”
He added that he is confident in his acting abilities despite a limited filmography. “To me, this is largely not going to be acting because I’ve been through a lot of those hardships that Randy has been through,” Walker said “I grew up rough. I’ve been through a divorce. I struggle with walking sometimes. I can put myself in Randy’s place. Randy doesn’t need sympathy, but I empathize with him, and so I think I’m going to be able to give the role an authenticity.”
Filming will kick off this summer, with Nashville and Travis’ home state of North Carolina expected to be used as locations. The producers are hoping for a spring 2026 theatrical release.
Travis suffered a near-fatal stroke in 2013 and has been mostly unable to sing or speak since. Last year, Travis released his first new song in more than a decade, “Where That Came From.” The track was recorded with the help of AI, using the voice of country singer James Dupré to help build the vocals. Travis followed the song with “Horses in Heaven” in January, which paid tribute to the victims of the Washington, D.C. plane crash.
The musician is currently out his More Life Tour with Dupré filling in on vocals. The popular tour was recently extended through November. Mary told People, “It’s just incredible to watch how Randy orchestrates the whole thing from his chair. It’s a beautiful thing.”
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