From "4Filming" : "Soul On Fire Filming Locations (2025)"

Soul On Fire is a 2025 biographical drama film about John O’Leary. The film retells his survival and recovery after a childhood house explosion. It follows his long road from near death to becoming a motivational speaker and author. The movie is the theatrical adaptation of O’Leary’s memoir On Fire.

The film premiered in theaters through Sony Pictures Entertainment’s AFFIRM Films. It features a cast that includes William H. Macy, John Corbett, Joel Courtney, DeVon Franklin, Masey McLain, and Stephanie Szostak. The story shows key moments from O’Leary’s childhood and his life into the present day.

This article lists the confirmed St. Louis-area locations used in Soul On Fire. Each entry notes the town or city and short background info when available. All locations below are reported as featured in the film.

Table of Contents

• Where Was Soul On Fire Filmed?

  • John O’Leary’s childhood home — Town and Country, Missouri

  • Saint Louis University — St. Louis, Missouri

  • Busch Stadium — St. Louis, Missouri

  • Mercy Hospital — St. Louis, Missouri

  • Shrine of St. Joseph Catholic Church — St. Louis, Missouri

  • Kiener Plaza — St. Louis, Missouri

  • Jefferson Barracks — South County, Missouri

  • Tiffany’s Diner — Maplewood, Missouri

  • Saratoga Lanes — Maplewood, Missouri

  • Humphrey’s Restaurant & Tavern — St. Louis (Exteriors Only)

  • EdgeWild Restaurant and Winery — Chesterfield (Exteriors Only)

  • Frisco Barroom — Webster Groves (Exteriors Only)

• When Did the Filming of Soul On Fire Take Place?

• FAQ

From "The Christian Post" : "Inside the faith-filled film 'Soul on Fire': 'You don’t get to choose the path, but how you walk it'"

This is a long article.
Here are some excerpts about Joel.

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"Soul on Fire" stars Joel Courtney (“Jesus Revolution”) as a young O’Leary and John Corbett (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding”) as his father, Dennis (Denny), with William H. Macy and DeVon Franklin rounding out the cast. Shot in St. Louis, where O’Leary still lives, “Soul on Fire” is based on his bestselling book, which highlights that choosing life and hope is not a feeling, but a daily decision.

“Choosing life is a choice,” Courtney told The Christian Post. “John talks a lot about the victor or the victim life that he could have chosen, which Denny told him about. You don't get to choose the path you walk, but you get to choose how you walk it. And I think that is something that John chooses every single day. He chooses every day to love, to live. That's huge for him, and stepping out into the world and sharing his heart and his story, once he started his speaking engagements, was just it was an inflection point in his life.”

Filmed in many of the real-life places where O’Leary’s story unfolded, the film follows his life, from his childhood accident to his college years, where he hid behind a mask of confidence and hid his pain through partying, concealing the deep trauma he carried.

Courtney, a Christian himself, said his preparation for the film required an understanding of the internal battle between shame and grace.

“He was that fun, party-boy guy, ‘I’m fine, nothing to see here,’” Courtney said. “But deep down, he was hiding himself from the world. Putting myself in those circumstances, trying to understand what that feels like, to live with those kinds of scars and still show up, that was the hardest part.”

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For Courtney, “Soul on Fire,” like “Jesus Revolution,” marked an opportunity to tell a story that inspires viewers to find the courage to choose hope, even when it seems impossible.

“As a Christian, I always love telling stories of faith,” he said. “Stories where people are really going through it, but they choose love, they choose to lean on God, to be led. That’s always meaningful for me. I don’t only do Christian films, but when one like this comes along, it’s special. It’s personal.”

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