Could Columbus Be Golden?
Could Columbus Be Golden?
A portrait inspired a novel. A novel inspired millions. And on a rainy evening in Columbus, that inspiration found its way back home.
By Johnathan Woodward | Woodward Film
August 11, 2026 | Columbus, Georgia
Sometimes inspiration begins with something so ordinary that no one realizes where it might lead. For Allen Levi, it began with portraits hanging on the walls of a Columbus coffee shop. For me, it began with a phone call from my sister. Then came another call from a friend, an unexpected family connection, an old portrait, an actor on a park bench—and a break in a Georgia summer storm.
All of it left me thinking about one question: Could Columbus be Golden?
I used to say my connection to Columbus began during COVID-19. I’ve since realized that’s not entirely true. Long before I came here, my grandfather, Johnny L. Woodward Sr., was put on a train in Atlanta and brought to Fort Benning for basic training before World War II. I later learned that one of his uncles had also moved to Columbus and, according to our family history, operated an automotive service business here.
I’ve yet to meet any distant relatives from that branch of the family during my six years in the area, but I find it remarkable that decades before Columbus became part of my own story, members of my family had already passed through this place.
My personal journey here began during another extraordinary moment in history. Before COVID-19, I was working in the Atlanta film industry, including on CBS’s MacGyver. When productions shut down and much of the world came to a standstill, this area gave me an opportunity to continue working and creating.
Six years later, Columbus has become much more than a place where I came to work. Through Woodward Film, I’ve had the opportunity to work with wonderful actors, filmmakers, businesses and community members while continuing to work on projects ranging from independent productions to nationally recognized brands. I’ve come to believe deeply that Columbus has stories worth telling—and people worth seeing.
That is part of what made Allen Levi’s Theo of Golden resonate with me.
The Connections Kept Coming
My sister, Atlanta trial attorney Natalie Woodward, was the first person to call me about Allen Levi’s book. Nearly two decades ago, when Natalie was a young attorney beginning her career, she worked at Mayfield, Commander & Pound, L.L.C. in Atlanta, where she learned from attorney Ted Pound.
Years later, after reading Theo of Golden and learning more about the real-life inspiration behind the novel, she discovered an unexpected personal connection: Garry Pound, the Columbus artist whose portraits helped inspire Allen Levi’s story, is Ted Pound’s brother. Neither Ted nor this family connection is part of the novel; it was simply a remarkable connection Natalie recognized from her own life.
That immediately fascinated me. Here was a bestselling novel inspired in Columbus by the work of a Columbus artist, and suddenly there was an unexpected thread connecting it to my own family.
Then another call came. Walter Miller, a man I met after working in Chattahoochee County, just minutes south of Columbus, during COVID, became the second person to ask me whether I had read Theo of Golden. Even Walter seemed connected to another thread in my family’s life: his good friend Lynn Sexton’s daughter, Lindsey Sexton Turner, was good friends with my sister and had attended the University of Georgia School of Law with her.
At that point, it felt as though the circle just kept turning. One connection led to another, and eventually I thought about my friend and actor Kevin Harcourt.
Kevin was born and raised here and has deep roots in Columbus. We’ve worked together on several film projects, and he has continued pursuing acting and waiting for the opportunity every performer hopes for—the role that allows people to see something in them that perhaps had been there all along. Something about Kevin reminded me of what I felt while reading about Theo.
To be clear, Kevin has not been cast as Theo, and Woodward Film has no affiliation with Allen Levi, his publisher, representatives or any prospective film adaptation. This isn’t an official campaign or casting announcement. We simply encountered something that moved us, and we were inspired.
From a Portrait to Millions of People
That’s what makes the story behind Theo of Golden so beautiful. Allen Levi has described standing in a Columbus coffee shop and looking at dozens of portraits covering the walls. They were the work of Columbus artist Garry Pound. Levi began wondering about the people depicted and imagining what might happen if someone purchased the portraits and returned them to the people pictured. That seemingly small observation helped give birth to Theo.
Columbus itself also became the template for Levi’s fictional community of Golden. The real city, its people and its places became part of the creative soil from which the story grew.
Levi self-published Theo of Golden in 2023. Readers told other readers, and this quiet story about kindness, generosity, love and seeing value in other people eventually became a #1 New York Times bestseller. The official publisher also lists it as a Katie Couric Book Club and Jen Hatmaker Book Club selection.
Then, in July 2026, Levi sat down with Oprah Winfrey on The Oprah Podcast — “Why ‘Theo of Golden’ Has Touched Millions of Readers” to talk about why Theo’s story has touched so many people. The episode explores the book’s extraordinary word-of-mouth journey and themes of love, hope, beauty, generosity and being seen.
Think about that journey: an artist saw a person. A portrait inspired a writer. The writer created a story. Readers carried that story to millions of other people. One of those readers called her brother in Columbus, and another friend called him too. Eventually, an actor and a filmmaker found themselves on a park bench in the very city where so much of it began.
That’s how inspiration travels.
Recently, I attended an estate sale and purchased an original Garry Pound portrait of a young woman whose identity I don’t know. I found myself wondering who she was. Did she ever see the finished portrait? Did she know Pound had captured her likeness? What was happening in her life when he drew her? And what would she think if she knew where that piece of art had traveled all these years later?
On August 11, I took that portrait downtown and photographed Kevin with it. I wasn’t trying to recreate Theo of Golden. I wanted to capture one simple idea I took away from the story: What can happen when we stop long enough to really see another person?
Then the Rain Stopped
Even getting the photograph felt special. It rained heavily in Columbus that evening, and for a while it looked as though our outdoor shoot might not happen at all. Then, almost exactly when we needed it, the rain stopped.
The light appeared. Kevin sat down on the bench. We placed Pound’s portrait beside him with the fountain behind us, and for a short window everything came together. Call it luck, timing or providence. To me, it felt like a little God-given break in the storm. And I pressed the shutter.
Maybe that sounds like a small thing, but one reason Theo of Golden has stayed with me is its reminder that small things aren’t necessarily small—and that the value of creating something isn’t always measured by where it immediately leads.
There is a passage in Chapter 21 that especially stayed with me. Theo tells Asher:
“It might not make a lot of sense, but for anything to be good, truly good, there must be love in it. … There must be love for the gift itself, love for the subject being depicted or the story being told, and love for the audience. … if love is not in it—at the very heart of it—it might be skillful, marketable, or popular but I doubt it is truly good. Nothing is what it’s supposed to be if love is not at the core.”
— Theo of Golden, Chapter 21, Allen Levi
Those words say something I’ve felt throughout my career but haven’t always known how to articulate. Whether we’re making a film, writing a book, painting a portrait, performing a role or simply taking a photograph of a friend, technical skill can make something polished and opportunity can make something successful—but neither necessarily makes it meaningful. There has to be love in it.
Maybe that’s why Kevin and I went to that park bench on a rainy evening in Columbus. We didn’t know what would come from the photograph, and we still don’t. Kevin is a senior actor and friend who loves his craft and continues to pursue it. I’m a filmmaker who loves film and believes deeply in what this community has to offer.
We read a story that moved us, saw connections between that story and the people and places around us, and felt compelled to create something. Maybe that’s enough—or maybe this photograph and these words will travel a little farther than we expect.
Could Columbus Be Golden?
If Theo of Golden someday makes the journey from page to screen, Kevin and I would love to see those entrusted with its future seriously consider bringing that journey home to Columbus. Imagine what that could mean.
The book has already created an attraction to Columbus as readers discover the real places and people connected to the world that inspired Golden. If a novel can create that kind of connection, imagine what a film or series produced here could do.
The inspiration is already here. We have the Chattahoochee River, Broadway, historic neighborhoods, fountains, parks, coffee shops, beautiful architecture, military history and rural landscapes only minutes from downtown. More importantly, we have actors, filmmakers, technicians, craftspeople, businesses and a community ready to welcome storytellers.
We also have an extraordinary advocate in Columbus Film Commissioner Joel Slocumb and the Columbus Georgia Film Commission through VisitColumbusGA. Joel has worked tirelessly to help filmmakers discover this region and connect productions with locations, permitting, local resources, crew and the practical support necessary to make filming here possible.
I’ve seen that commitment firsthand. Columbus doesn’t simply have places where a movie could be filmed; it has people who know how to help a production succeed here.
Perhaps that’s why this particular story feels so appropriate for this particular city. The film industry is filled with people waiting to be seen: an actor hoping for the right role, an artist whose portrait hangs unnoticed, a crew member waiting for a first opportunity, a writer with an unread manuscript—or even a city waiting for someone to recognize what it has to offer.
But to me, this has become about something even bigger than one particular book, actor, photograph or potential film. It’s about movement—about brilliant, creative people achieving things without always knowing in the moment what those things might become.
Sometimes remarkable work is recognized immediately; sometimes it takes years, and sometimes generations. A book, a building, a painting, a photograph, a performance or a film can exist quietly until the right person encounters it at the right moment and says, “Look at this.”
Art history is filled with things whose importance wasn’t fully understood when they were created. That’s one of the mysteries of creativity: we don’t always get to know who will encounter our work, when they will encounter it, or what it might inspire them to do next.
Perhaps that’s what Natalie did when she called me. Perhaps that’s what Walter did when he asked if I’d read the book. Perhaps that’s what Garry Pound did every time he drew a face, and what Allen Levi did when he stopped and really looked at those portraits. Perhaps, in our own small way, that’s what Kevin and I were doing on that park bench.
We were creating something because there was love in it.
Maybe someone who has a voice in the future of Theo of Golden will see our photograph or read this article and become curious about Columbus. Perhaps they’ll visit, meet the people here and see the places that helped inspire Golden. Perhaps they’ll imagine what this remarkable story might look like brought to the screen in the community where so much of its inspiration began.
Because if a book born from portraits hanging in a Columbus coffee shop can reach millions of people, imagine what a film made here could inspire.
We don’t know where inspiration goes next, and that’s part of the beauty of it. Garry Pound created a portrait. Allen Levi saw something in those portraits and created Theo. Millions of readers saw something in Theo. My sister saw a connection and called me. Walter called me. I saw my friend Kevin. And during a break in a summer storm in downtown Columbus, my camera saw him too.
None of us planned that entire chain. Inspiration travels.
Kevin and I wish Allen Levi, Garry Pound and everyone connected with Theo of Golden continued success. We aren’t trying to claim their story, suggest that we have any involvement in what comes next, or speak for those who control its future. We’re simply celebrating the fact that their story inspired ours.
And maybe, just maybe, someone entrusted with Theo’s next chapter will look toward the city that helped inspire Golden and decide to come see it for themselves.
Could Columbus be Golden?
We certainly hope you’ll come take a look.
— Johnathan Woodward
Woodward Film | Columbus, Georgia
This independent editorial and artistic project was inspired by Allen Levi’s novel Theo of Golden. Woodward Film and the individuals featured are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by Allen Levi, the publisher, the author’s representatives, or any prospective film or television production.
P.S. — And Then, the Story Kept Moving
Just days after Kevin and I created these photographs in downtown Columbus—and after the thoughts behind this article had already begun taking shape—some remarkable news arrived.
On August 20, Deadline reported that Warner Bros. Pictures is in negotiations to bring Theo of Golden to the screen, with Tom Hanks in talks to portray Theo and serve as an executive producer. Allen Levi is also expected to executive produce alongside an accomplished team that includes Gil Netter, Gary Goetzman, Jesse Ehrman and Sheila Walcott.
I couldn’t help but smile when I read the news.
The entire purpose of our little photo project was to celebrate the way inspiration moves from one person to another—and to express our hope that if Theo of Golden ever made the journey from page to screen, Columbus, Georgia, would be seriously considered as the place to bring Golden to life.
Now, only days later, that possibility suddenly feels much more tangible.
Tom Hanks is an extraordinary choice for a character whose quiet humanity has meant so much to so many readers, and Kevin and I couldn’t be happier for Allen Levi and everyone involved in bringing the project this far. We wish them tremendous success as the process moves forward.
And our hope for Columbus remains exactly the same.
The portraits were here. The coffee shop was here. The river, Broadway, the fountain, the neighborhoods and the people who helped inspire Golden are here. The film infrastructure and community support are here, too.
So perhaps the question at the top of this article has become even more timely:Could Columbus be Golden?
Warner Bros., Mr. Hanks and everyone entrusted with bringing Theo’s story to the screen—we certainly hope you’ll come take a look.
Read Deadline’s original report on the Theo of Golden film project
CONTINUE THE STORY
Inspired to learn more about Theo of Golden?
Discover the book, meet Allen Levi, listen to his conversation with Oprah Winfrey and learn more about the people and ideas behind the story.
Woodward Film receives no compensation from these links. We simply encourage our readers to discover and support the author and the work that inspired this independent Columbus photo project.
Discover Theo of Golden
Theo of Golden — A Novel by Allen Levi
Originally self-published in 2023, Theo of Golden grew largely through word of mouth before being published by Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. It became a #1 New York Times bestseller and was selected by both the Katie Couric Book Club and Jen Hatmaker Book Club.
Official Theo of Golden Page — Allen Levi
Allen’s own book page is an excellent first destination. It includes information about the novel, purchase links through multiple booksellers, audiobook information and book-club resources.
Learn more about Allen, his writing and music, his other work, and Theo of Golden.
Theo of Golden — Official Publisher Page, Atria Books / Simon & Schuster
The publisher’s page includes the hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook editions, author information, reviews and the official reading-group guide.
Meet Allen Levi
Allen grew up in Columbus, Georgia, attended the University of Georgia for degrees in English and law, practiced law, studied Scottish fiction at the University of Edinburgh, and later pursued music and storytelling. Theo of Golden is his first novel.
Allen Levi + Oprah Winfrey
On July 21, 2026, Allen joined Oprah Winfrey for an episode of The Oprah Podcast titled “Why ‘Theo of Golden’ Has Touched Millions of Readers with Allen Levi and Oprah.” Their conversation explores the novel’s word-of-mouth journey and themes of love, hope, beauty, generosity and what it means for another person to feel seen.
Listen to Allen Levi and Oprah — The Oprah Podcast
Oprah subsequently published her own reflection about the novel and the importance of truly seeing other people.
Read “Oprah on the Gift of Being Seen” — Oprah Daily
More from Allen
For readers who finish the novel, Allen provides an official Book Club Reader’s Guide with questions and themes for further discussion.
Theo of Golden — Book Club Reader’s Guide
Allen has also written “The Theo in You,” a reflection on the capacity for kindness, grace and generosity that he sought to capture in Theo.
Read “The Theo in You” by Allen Levi
For readers interested in the audiobook, the official edition is narrated by actor David Morse and includes an afterword narrated by Allen Levi.
Theo of Golden — Official Audiobook
More Photos of Kevin Harcourt
Photography by Johnathan Woodward | WoodwardFilm.com
Photograph: Kevin Harcourt with an original portrait by Garry Pound. Photography by Woodward Film, August 11, 2026, Columbus, Georgia.
