Director behind 'Jesus Revolution' bringing series about King David, Saul to Amazon Prime
On the heels of the success of the biblical series “The Chosen,” a series following the story of the Old Testament King David and Saul is coming to Amazon Prime Video from the director behind “Jesus Revolution” and “I Can Only Imagine.”
Earlier this month, Amazon MGM Studios announced it had entered into an agreement with the new faith-based, values-driven movie studio The Wonder Project and has ordered a new Bible-based series, "House of David," for Prime Video, according to Variety.
The Wonder Project was co-founded by director Jon Erwin and former Netflix and YouTube executive Kelly Merryman Hoogstraten. Dallas Jenkins, the creator and director of "The Chosen," is an advisor for The Wonder Project.
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"House of David" follows the Old Testament account of David, the biblical figure who eventually ascended to become the king of the Israelites.
Per the official description, the show “follows the once-mighty King Saul as he falls victim to his own pride. A prophet prepares to overthrow him — anointing the outcast shepherd boy David as a second king. As Saul’s fury grows, David navigates love, violence and politics in the court of the very man he’s destined to replace. Two kings. One Kingdom. The outcome is war.”
“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,” said Jon Erwin of The Wonder Project. “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.”
In recent years, Bible-based films and TV series have seen massive success; “The Chosen,” which has had 200 million unique viewers across its platforms since launching in 2017, has been credited with igniting a renewed wave of interest in biblical dramas.
Jenkins, the creator and producer-director of the multi-seasons about the life of Jesus and acts as a special advisor to The Wonder Project, told The Christian Post 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.”
Erwin, the outspoken Christian filmmaker behind the forthcoming film “Ordinary Angels," told Variety he and his wife are "part of the audience" that the 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 told Variety. "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."
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com
