(Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Netflix)
Producer DeVon Franklin and stars Serayah McNeill and Tyler Lepley share how they reimagined the biblical love story for today’s viewers.
DeVon Franklin stepped out for the Ruth & Boaz special screening in Atlanta on September 22, 2025.
At the event, producer DeVon Franklin, along with stars Serayah McNeill and Tyler Lepley, reflected on the experience of bringing an ancient biblical love story into a modern lens.
The inspiration for Netflix’s latest film didn’t emerge from a Hollywood boardroom but from Franklin’s own sermon. A producer, minister, and motivational speaker, Franklin explained to Variety that while preaching on singleness, he was struck again by the timeless message in the story of Ruth and Boaz.
“I realized how much love, loyalty, and faith still speak to people today,” he said. “I wanted to present those themes in a way that feels relevant to this generation.”
Franklin, who went through a divorce from actress Meagan Good in 2022 and remarried earlier this year to celebrity trainer Maria Castillo, has long spoken about how his faith guides both his work and personal life.
“As I studied their story, it helped me better understand singleness—not as a waiting period, but as a season of service and living for something bigger than yourself,” he added.
For him, the takeaway is simple: “Love is the most powerful force in the universe. Love always wins. Stay open to it—because when we allow love to flow in and out of our lives, we already have everything we need.”
Ruth & Boaz premiered on Netflix September 26, 2025, starring Serayah McNeill as Ruth, Tyler Lepley as Boaz, and Phylicia Rashad as Naomi, with a special cameo from Babyface. The film opened at No. 1 on the platform and held the spot through its first weekend, according to FlixPatrol—an achievement Babyface celebrated online. The project also kicks off Franklin’s new partnership with Tyler Perry, aimed at creating more faith-centered films for Netflix and expanding the reach of spiritual storytelling.
The movie reimagines the Old Testament account found in the Book of Ruth. In scripture, after losing her husband, Ruth famously vows to stay with her mother-in-law Naomi, saying, “Where you go, I will go.” Together they move to Bethlehem, where Ruth labors in the fields to sustain them. There, she encounters Boaz, a landowner who honors her devotion and resilience. In a culture that offered little protection for widows, Boaz provides both dignity and safety. Their relationship grows until Ruth makes a bold move at the threshing floor, and Boaz promises to marry her, redeeming her family’s future. The union of Ruth and Boaz is remembered as a cornerstone story of devotion, providence, and legacy, with their line leading to King David.
The Netflix adaptation translates those themes into contemporary life. McNeill’s Ruth is reimagined as a young musician rebuilding her life in Tennessee after personal loss, while Lepley’s Boaz embodies steadiness and faith that influences everyone around him. Rashad grounds the story as Naomi, and Babyface contributes his artistry with a musical touch.
For McNeill, stepping into Ruth’s role felt natural. Already familiar with the biblical account, she was drawn to how the modernized Ruth navigates the music world while finding love.
“You never know where the journey will take you,” she shared with Variety. “When you finally lower your guard, you realize you can’t resist divinity. Once you stop fighting it, something beautiful is waiting on the other side.”
Lepley, on the other hand, admitted he wasn’t as familiar with the biblical Ruth and Boaz before the project. But in preparing for the role, he found himself connecting through his own spiritual path.
“At the end of the day, all we really have is God,” he said.
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