Santa Claus is really pulling out all the stops for soap opera fans this holiday season. In addition to gifting the daytime community with a slew of Christmas films starring various soap performers, he's giving General Hospital viewers the chance to see Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos) on the big screen in the music-driven drama Hold On.
Set to hit select theaters across the nation on Friday, December 6, Hold On tells the story of Sidney Rhodes, an overlooked singing prodigy who fights to keep her career dreams alive and save her brother from a life of addiction on Los Angeles' Skid Row, all the while embarking on an unexpected creative journey with the son of a famed music manager.
The film, written and directed by Tarek Tohme, was inspired by the real-life journey of singer-songwriter Micayla De Ette. She and Tohme met when the director was a student at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and hired De Ette to sing on a thesis film. The two decided to collaborate on Hold On at a time when both were in the aftermath of personal loss; the film, writes Broadway World, "was the artistic outlet they used to turn beauty from ashes, and it is a story they hope will bring light, hope, and -- perhaps even some healing -- to all who watch."
Benard took to Twitter to alert fans to the news that Hold On is being released in theaters this weekend. He writes, "After you've seen theirishmanfilm frozen2_ or your favorite superhero movie. Come check out this smaller movie made with so much love, it will inspire you never to give up hope no matter what the odds."
After you've seen theirishmanfilm frozen2_ or your favorite superhero movie. Come check out this smaller movie made with so much love, it will inspire you never to give up hope no matter what the odds👏🏽👏🏽.... https://t.co/TdMzC2q00G
— Maurice Benard (@MauriceBenard) December 3, 2019
Says Tohme of the film that also stars Luis Guzman, Beth Grant, and hip-hop icon Flavor Flav, "For us, the goal is to reach as many people as possible with this film. We hope that Hold On can be a vessel of togetherness and hope at a time where our cultural divide is at an all-time."
Adds De Ette, "I want people to know that they are not alone. No matter what you are going through, there is always hope."
Check out the teaser trailer below and for additional information, including links to purchase the movie soundtrack, visit the film's official website.
Benard got his start in the soap opera world with the role of Nico Kelly on All My Children, which he played from 1987 to 1989. He landed the role of General Hospital's Sonny in 1993 and has been playing the lovable mobster since. He recently announced that he'll be releasing a memoir called Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital in April of 2020. He also recently filmed Equal Standard alongside musician/actor Ice-T.
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