'God's Not Dead 2' features Melissa Joan Hart as teacher who stands up for her faith amid religious freedom attack in schools

"God's Not Dead 2" is coming to the box office after the success of its predecessor in 2014. While the previous movie was about a student who was targeted by his teacher for his faith, the upcoming film will feature a reversed situation.

In "God's Not Dead 2," Melissa Joan Hart plays history teacher Grace Wesley, who faces court after one student asked her about the common denominator in the teachings of Jesus, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Mahatma Ghandi. Her answer gets her into trouble and the parents of the student sue Grace, saying Jesus has never existed, Christian Today reports.

In the trailer for "God's Not Dead 2," the school officials demand that Grace apologize for violating the "separation of church and state." However, the teacher boldly stands up to her faith even if she is at the brink of losing her job, the report relays.

"I gave an honest answer to a student's legitimate question. I'm not going to be afraid, to say the name Jesus," Grace is heard saying in the trailer. "I would rather stand with God and be judged by the world than stand with the world and be judged by God."

The success of "God's Not Dead" spurred the creation of a sequel. The first movie earned around US$62.6 million in the box office and the production cost was only US$2 million. The movie featured a student's efforts to stick to his faith despite being persecuted by his teacher. At the end of the story, te teacher dies in a car crash but is able to welcome Jesus into his heart in the nick of time, World Religion News recalls.

The central theme of the two movies is Christian persecution in the school setting. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who has cameo appearances in the film, described the movie project as an effort to support persecuted Christians in a legal way.

"God's Not Dead 2" premieres in theaters on Apr. 1.