Early reactions pour in on KJ Apa’s portrayal of Jimmy Stewart in new biopic

Jimmy is the upcoming biographical drama film that chronicles the life of Jimmy Stewart. The film is directed by Aaron Burns and features a screenplay by Justin Strawhand. It is scheduled for release on November 6, 2026. Here's the official synopsis as per Letterboxd:

A look into the life of American actor James Stewart, whose inspiring tale of valor, purpose and faith will win over everyone.

Recently, the makers dropped the film's teaser trailer, and fans started putting out their early reactions. While some are impressed, others have their doubts about KJ Apa portraying It's a Beautiful Life actor. Let's explore.

Fans have a polarized response to Jimmy's teaser

The teaser trailer for the James Stewart biopic has been released online, prompting a wave of fan reactions, many of which focus on KJ Apa’s voice portrayal of the late actor.

A user pointed out the struggle to get Stewart's voice. She wrote,

"I think the problem with making a serious biopic of Jimmy Stewart with a not joke impression of his voice is that Jimmy Stewart himself struggled with making his voice not sound like a joke sometimes…and he was one of the greatest actors of his generation."

Another fan was also not happy with Appa's voice for Stewart. They wrote,

"I simply do not have the ability to process KJ Apa's Stewart voice until at least Q1 2026."

A fan stated that they don't have time for the film. The tweet read,

"sorry we do not have the time to deal with this right now."

The film is produced by Aaron Burns, David C. Cook, Angela Galgani Sullivan, John Norton, and Justin Strawhand. Stewart's daughter, Kelly Stewart-Harcourt, who is one of the executive producers, spoke about having Apa portray her father on screen.

“I have long thought that it would be hard to find an actor who could bring my father to life without doing an extended Jimmy Stewart impersonation. But that actor has been found and his name is KJ Apa. I was privileged enough to visit the set in Ireland this last September, and there, I felt a magic. I know this will be conveyed in the film, and I can’t wait to see it.”

Besides Apa, the film also stars Jason Alexander, Max Casella, Sarah Drew, Julian Works, Jen Lilley, Neal McDonough, and Christopher McDonald, among others.

The film will be released on November 6, 2026.