Is The Unbreakable Boy based on a true story? Details revisited 

Lionsgate released The Unbreakable Boy on February 21, 2025. Jon Gunn directed the film and wrote the screenplay. Based on a true story, the movie is adapted from the book The Unbreakable Boy: A Father's Fear, a Son's Courage, and a Story of Unconditional Love, written by Susy Flory and Scott Michael LeRette.

The movie features Zachary Levi, Jacob Laval, Meghann Fahy, and Peter Facinelli. It was filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic in November and December 2020. Initially set for release on March 18, 2022, Warner Bros. Pictures delayed it, and the film ultimately premiered in 2025. Due to its narrative, audiences may have questioned whether a true story inspired it. Let's investigate.

---

What is the plot of The Unbreakable Boy?

The Unbreakable Boy is about a kid named Austin LeRette whose parents, Teresa and Scott, find out that he has autism as well as brittle bone disease. The parents get worried about how Austin will live his life. However, Scott has an unshaken faith, which is coupled with the relentless energy of his son, giving them the strength to endure the problem.

The official synopsis of the film reads,

A young boy with both a rare brittle-bone disease and autism. But what makes him truly unique is his joyous, funny, life-affirming world view that transforms and unites everyone around him.

---

Is The Unbreakable Boy based on a true story?

The Unbreakable Boy is based on a true story, adapted from a namesake 2014 novel, an autobiographical account of Scott LeRette. During the book's unveiling, He said his story was for the masses . Later, he gave an interview to People Magazine, revealing that the film stayed true to what happened to his family.

“It’s pretty much all out there.”

He then talks about a scene in the film that made him think:

“Zach says, ‘I wish I could love anything as much Austin loves everything,’ and that is something that I find myself thinking about every day. Because it’s exactly right. Austin would rather gravitate to the worst of human beings to get to know them. Because he thinks everybody’s redeemable.”

Further in the interview, LeRette spoke about the current status of his son, who is in his 30s but still struggling. He said,

“In terms of even semi-independent living, it’s so hard, and he wants that more than we do. He’s 30. He’ll never drive — and it’s not because he couldn’t physically do it, but it’s because he would fall in love with the song on the radio and he’d crash. People need services. It’s a challenge.”

LeRette said that getting help for a special needs child after a certain age is difficult.

“The world in general, our country needs so much help with services because when a child turns 18 or 21 [for] special needs, the services tend to just disappear —I mean, overnight. Boom. Stop. Period. They’re gone.”

It’s safe to conclude that the film remains faithful to its original material and the actual events that convey the emotional narrative.

---

Stay tuned to Soap Central for more such stories.