'House of David' first-look images show battle between David and Goliath; release date announced
Prime Video and Wonder Project have unveiled the first-look images and premiere date for their upcoming biblical drama series "House of David," which follows the story of the Old Testament King David and Saul.
Created by "Jesus Revolution" creator Jon Erwin, Michael Nankin and "Ordinary Angels" director Jon Gunn, the series will debut on Feb. 27, 2025, with three episodes dropping on premiere day, followed by one episode weekly. Dallas Jenkins ("The Chosen") serves as Wonder Project's special advisor.
"House of David tells the story of the ascent of the biblical figure, David, who eventually becomes the most renowned and celebrated king of Israel," reads the series description.
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"The series follows the once-mighty King Saul as he falls victim to his own pride. At the direction of God, the prophet Samuel anoints an unlikely, outcast teenager as the new king. As Saul loses his power over his kingdom, David finds himself on a journey to discover and fulfill his destiny, navigating love, loss, and violence in the court of the very man he's destined to replace. As one leader falls, another must rise."
"House of David" stars Michael Iskander as David along with Ali Suliman as King Saul, Ayelet Zurer as Saul's trusted wife Queen Ahinoam, Stephen Lang as Samuel, Indy Lewis as Saul's daughter Mychal and Martyn Ford as the giant Goliath.
First-look images from the series show scenes from the battle between David and Goliath as described in 1 Samuel 17, Samuel's anointing of David (1 Samuel 16) and David playing the harp, among other scenes.
Wonder Project was co-founded by Erwin and former Netflix and YouTube executive Kelly Merryman Hoogstraten.
"With 'House of David' being the first project under this new deal, we're setting the stage for a series of compelling, values-driven movies, and TV shows," Erwin previously said. "This is a milestone for The Wonder Project, and we're thrilled to be working with a company that understands and supports our mission and our audience in such a groundbreaking way."
Erwin also told Variety he and his wife are "part of the audience" that Wonder Project wants to serve.
"My wife and I have four kids," he said. "There's an audience that I serve with the content that we make. I need more of this in my home."
Erwin said the company hopes to sell its productions to mainstream networks, streamers and film distributors while creating its own distribution and streaming options.
"What if we could dream a little bigger? What if we could build a studio of our own that empowers creatives in this space with a level of freedom and resources they haven't had before," Erwin said. "We want to be partners with studios and streamers and anybody who wants to reach this audience in profound new ways. But we want to do it while building something that is independent and can last."
In recent years, Bible-based films and TV series have experienced remarkable success.
"The Chosen," which has attracted 200 million unique viewers across its platforms since its 2017 debut, is widely recognized for sparking a renewed enthusiasm for biblical dramas.
Netflix's controversial biblical epic "Mary," executive produced by Joel Osteen, is currently among the platform's top 10 most-watched films.
Jenkins, the creator and producer-director of "The Chosen," told CP that while he doesn't like to "think too much" about what's driving the show's success, fans have told him they appreciate the authenticity and humanity of it.
"I think so many people see Jesus, and even the followers of Jesus, as stained glass windows, statues, something on a page, something on a painting. Even when they read the scriptures, they sometimes have difficulty connecting. I think by making the show, making Jesus and the disciples, reminding people that they were human beings, and saying, 'Wow, their struggles are our struggles. Their questions were ours, therefore, the answer can be the same.' That seems to be what's resonating with people."
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com
