His Lifeless Body Lay on the Pavement for More Than an Hour. But It's What He Claims Happened Next That Has Hollywood Taking Notice.

A feature film about a Christian pastor's claims of dying and visiting heaven after a horrible car wreck in 1989 is headed to theaters nationwide, continuing a trend of films that deal with near-death experiences and the so-called "heavenly tourism" phenomenon.

The movie, "90 Minutes in Heaven," recounts the story of Pastor Don Piper, who was on his way to church to lead a Bible study when he was involved in a terrible car wreck; it will be released in 800 theaters across America on Sept. 11.

As TheBlaze previously reported, Piper maintains that he died in that collision on Jan. 18, 1989, his lifeless body covered in a tarp on the pavement for more than an hour — all while his spirit visited heaven.

As the story goes, another pastor who was at the scene of the accident began praying over Piper for the duration of that time before seeing and hearing him come back to life under the covering of the tarp.

Watch the "90 Minutes in Heaven" trailer below:

Piper's real-life recovery process was physically painful, the injured pastor spending 13 months in the hospital and undergoing 34 surgeries. But Piper never forgot the spiritual experience he claims to have had — one that's now headed to the big screen.

"90 Minutes in Heaven" was directed by Michael Polish of “Big Sur” and starring Kate Bosworth of "Superman Returns" and Hayden Christensen of the "Star Wars" prequels.

Piper’s claims about what happened following the wreck were first told in the 2004 New York Times’ best-seller, "90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life."

In that book, Piper wrote that the afterlife is difficult to explain in earthly terms.

“Heaven’s light and texture defy earthly eyes or explanation. Warm, radiant light engulfed me,” he wrote. “As I looked around, I could hardly grasp the vivid, dazzling colors. Every hue and tone surpassed anything I had ever seen.”

Watch Piper explain more about his experience below: