Hollywood Is Broken—And That's Why Zachary Levi Is Building Something New

Actor, entrepreneur, and faith-driven creator Zachary Levi (Chuck, Shazam!) sits down with Justin Forman at SXSW to pull back the curtain on Hollywood, authentic storytelling, and his bold new venture: Wyldwood—an independent studio and intentional community designed to fix what's broken in entertainment and in the way we live.

From the untold true story of Sarah Rector—a 10-year-old Black girl in early 1900s Tulsa who prayed over her land, struck oil, and became the richest woman in America—to the AI flood rising around us, Zachary shares why he believes faith-driven creators are called to build arks, not abandon ship.

Key Topics

• Sarah's Oil: The remarkable true story of a 10-year-old girl whose childlike faith turned 160 acres into the largest pure oil reserve in North America

• Why excellent storytelling—not preaching—is how faith gets metabolized by culture

• Zachary's faith journey: from near-suicidal darkness eight years ago to a deeper, wider, more grace-filled walk with God

• The identity trap: what acting taught him about separating your work from your worth

• Wyldwood: building a modern-day Hershey, Pennsylvania for artists—intentional community, redemptive storytelling, and an answer to AI

• Why AI is a biblical flood—and why that's the reason to build, not retreat

Notable Quotes

"When I started working in Hollywood and I got my first look behind the curtain and I saw how all the sausage was made, I was heartbroken because I care too much about other human beings and excellence to find myself working in an industry that doesn't care about either of those things." — Zachary Levi

"There is a way to get messaging in your art that is not proselytizing. There's a way. And that is the way." — Zachary Levi

"A biblical flood is coming. It's not rain, it is technology. And the ground is already permeating. The water is rising." — Zachary Levi

Episode 372 - Your Industry is Broken. Are You Called to Fix It? | Zachary Levi

Faith Driven Entrepreneur

Episode 372 - Your Industry is Broken. Are You Called to Fix It? | Zachary Levi