Angel Studios to Adapt ‘Home to Harmony’ Books as TV Series from ‘When Calls the Heart’ Creators

Michael Landon Jr., Brian Bird, and "Prairie Home Companion" writer Ken LaZebnik will co-create the series based on Philip Gulley's book series.

Angel Studios knows there’s no place like home and soon will find out there’s no place like “Harmony.”

The distributor behind “Sound of Freedom” has picked up to series “Home to Harmony,” an inspiring, episodic family drama based on a series of books by author Philip Gulley, IndieWire can reveal exclusively.

The “Home to Harmony” series comes from Michael Landon Jr. and Brian Bird, best known as the creators of “When Calls the Heart,” the long-running Hallmark series drama that has been on the air since 2014 and is now filming its 12th season. Ken LaZebnik, a TV writer who has worked on “Touched By an Angel” and was a writer on the radio show “Prairie Home Companion,” is also co-creating the series with Landon Jr. and Bird.

Angel Studios is in the early stages of casting, and pre-production on “Home to Harmony” is expected to begin in early 2025.

“Home to Harmony” is the contemporary story of former Brooklyn pastor Sam Gardner who, after the death of his wife, returns to his quirky hometown of Harmony, Indiana with his two children to take over his boyhood congregation. While there, he rediscovers his passion for serving others and his capacity for love, particularly for his childhood crush, Deena Morrison, a lawyer and single mother. Together, they must navigate the challenges of reconciling Sam’s faith with Deena’s pragmatic approach to life while resisting the pull of their budding romance. Their connection could also be the key to stopping a corrupt mayor set on turning Harmony into an Atlantic City for the Hoosier state.

Gulley’s book series spans eight novels dating back to 2000, and his many books together have sold over a million copies. Gulley is a Quaker pastor, writer, and public speaker based in Danville, Indiana.

Like any projects Angel Studios releases, the series first needed to be approved by the Angel Guild, the studio’s group of crowdfunders that hold equity in the company and help make decisions on whether a project fits Angel’s vision of “amplifying light.” “Home to Harmony” was approved with flying colors.

“Our audience is eager to support exceptional quality entertainment that the whole family can enjoy together,” said Jared Geesey, Chief Distribution Officer at Angel Studios. “‘Home to Harmony’ checks all the boxes, and we couldn’t be more honored to work with these incredible storytellers.”

Landon Jr. is the son of TV and film icon Michael Landon (“Little House on the Prairie”), and he first wrote the “When Calls the Heart” film that later became the long-running series. He’s also produced a number of TV movies and will see the publication of his fifth novel next Spring.

“’When Calls the Heart’ gave birth to a passionate grassroots movement of several million fans who call themselves ‘Hearties,’” Landon said. “This dedicated community seeks to see their values represented on TV and in the movie theaters. And we are committed to continuing to deliver them hope, faith, and love.”

LaZebnik has written over 100 hours of network television including on shows like “Touched By an Angel,” and he also collaborated with Robert Altman on the story for the “Prairie Home Companion” film from 2006 in addition to being a writer on the actual radio series.

“Phil Gulley’s Harmony books are full of Humor, Emotion, Romance, and Optimism,” LaZebnik said. “And we love the acronym H.E.R.O. because those dynamics provide us everything we need for doing a series that brings the audience all the feels.”

Bird is the executive producer and co-developer of “When Calls the Heart” and has producing and writing credits on films like “The Case for Christ,” “The Ultimate Life,” or “Touched By an Angel” and “When Hope Calls” on TV.

“Our experience with the success of ‘When Calls the Heart’ has proved there is a massive, underserved audience out there for storytelling that amplifies hope and light,” Bird said. “At a time when almost everybody else is serving a menu of dark, cynical content, we believe in serving ‘soul food.’ And when you offer food to starving people, they will love you back.”

While Angel is no longer involved with its biggest series hit “The Chosen” after completing some lengthy arbitration with its original creator, Angel has still found some box office success after rocketing onto the map with last year’s $250 million surprise hit about child trafficking, “Sound of Freedom.” Upcoming for Angel are films like the war drama “Bonhoeffer” and the post-apocalyptic drama “Homestead.”