(RNS) — Centuries since it was written, the Christian Bible remains a bestselling book and has spawned more than a few blockbusters. Now, with the debut of “House of David,” a biblical drama from Amazon MGM Studios and Wonder Project premiering Thursday (Feb. 27) on Prime Video, Christian creators are eager for another hit.
It’s the latest biblical series released on the heels of “The Chosen,” a crowd-funded TV show about the life of Jesus that since 2017 has gained a worldwide following and more than 250 million viewers. Last summer saw a pilot episode of “The Promised Land,” a spoof on the biblical story of Moses told in the style of “The Office,” created by a crew member of “The Chosen.” And Dallas Jenkins, creator of “The Chosen,” has announced he’s already planning spinoff series about Jesus’ Apostles, as well as Hebrew Bible figures Moses and Joseph.
While “House of David” borrows much of “The Chosen’s” winning formula — including its humanization of biblical figures and mishmash of Middle Eastern-inspired accents — it lacks the lighthearted humor of “The Chosen.” But that move is intentional, per writer, co-director and executive producer Jon Erwin, who said that while he hopes “House of David” exudes the same authenticity as “The Chosen,” it’s based on a different scriptural genre.
“The cool thing about David, and I think it shows just the spectrum of stories in the Bible, is that David is really in another genre altogether,” said Erwin, one-half of the Erwin brothers duo that brought viewers the hit Christian film “I Can Only Imagine” and founder of the new faith-based studio Wonder Project.
“You think of the story drivers of ‘Lord of the Rings,’ those are sort of the elements in the story of ‘House of David,’” Erwin added.
It remains to be seen whether the darker, action epic “Game of Thrones” approach to the Hebrew tale will win over audiences. But with “The Chosen’s” Jenkins serving as special adviser on the project, it’s likely that fans of the Jesus show will give “House of David” a try.
Like “The Chosen,” “House of David” is led by a Christian team — Erwin and Jon Gunn, who previously collaborated on the hit Christian film “Jesus Revolution” — that’s shaping how the biblical story is brought to life.
“When we did this series, it was a nonnegotiable that we had to have creative control, because it’s the Bible,” said Erwin. “And we got it because of the success of things like ‘The Chosen’ and ‘Jesus Revolution’ or ‘I Can Only Imagine.’” In 2023, “Jesus Revolution” earned more than $54 million worldwide, and the 2018 film “I Can Only Imagine” grossed over $85 million worldwide.
According to Erwin, “House of David” has relied on many of the same Christian and Jewish scholars who consulted on “The Chosen,” including Rabbi Jason Sobel, a rabbi in the Messianic Jewish tradition, which accepts Jesus as the biblical savior. The result is a show that treats the Hebrew Scripture as its main source material but adds additional storylines for context and intrigue. In the first few episodes, which largely take place before Samuel anoints David as king, viewers are introduced to a backstory about David’s mother, Nitzevet, who passed on her love of music to David before she died. The audience sees the tension between David and his brothers, who are depicted as having a different mother, and between Saul’s wife and children, who disagree over how the Kingdom of Israel should be led.
For these storylines, writers and actors relied on research and their imaginations.
“Queen Ahinoam is not mentioned more than twice, or maybe even just once in the Bible, so there was not a lot to learn from the Bible about her,” said Ayelet Zurer (“Man of Steel,” “Ben-Hur”), an Israeli TV and film star who plays Saul’s loyal wife in the show. She said she drew inspiration from other biblical queens for her portrayal. Martyn Ford, who plays Goliath, said that while his character is no hero, he appreciated the opportunity to research the figure and flesh out the events that led to his famous confrontation with David.
“To allow myself to see him more as a human and less as a fearsome beast, that was probably the most rewarding part for me,” said Ford.
Goliath (Martyn Ford) in “House of David.” (Photo by Jonathan Prime/Prime)
While some faith-centric shows and films prioritize casting Christians in their leading roles, “House of David” is taking its cue from “The Chosen” by casting for fit and skill, not necessarily faith background. Zurer is an Israeli actress raised by a secular Jewish family who told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency she’s been drawn to spiritualism in recent years. Stephen Lang, who starred in James Cameron’s “Avatar” and portrays the Prophet Samuel, was raised by a Catholic mother and Jewish father and attended a Quaker high school. Ali Suliman (“Jack Ryan,” “Arthur the King”), a Palestinian actor who plays Saul, said being cast in the role led him to dive into the Bible for the first time — “I was amazed,” he said. Michael Iskander, who plays David, told RNS he “grew up learning about David in Sunday school and at church.”
Prioritizing experienced, if not always mainstream, actors pays off for “House of David.” The acting is compelling, even if the building action of the first three episodes lags as viewers are introduced to a cast of, well, biblical proportions. Viewers should also brace themselves for vengeance and violence. The directors don’t shy away from showing battles between the Israelites and Amalekites, Samuel’s slaying of Amalekite King Agag, and characters getting stabbed and shot by arrows.
But bloodiness aside, “House of David” is the latest Christian project to prove that faith-based media can produce high-quality acting and cinematography. Perhaps that’s most evident in scenes depicting David, played by Iskander, who lends his Broadway-level musical skills to bring David’s psalms to life with his voice, and on the lyre.
Samuel (Stephen Lang) and David (Michael Iskander) in “House of David.” (Photo by Nikos Nikolopoulos/Prime)
“I always found myself reverting to Scripture, and specifically the book of First and Second Samuel and the Psalms, and reading those, and reading the words that David wrote, the things that were on his heart, to truly infer who this person is. Who is David truly? What are his intentions? What are his goals?” said Iskander. “And I just tried to implement that in every scene, to find the essence, to find the heart of every scene, and the heart of David in that.”
Iskander, who says he’s long dreamed of playing the figure David, is the heartbeat of the series, and could be key to making this latest biblical series a success. According to Lang, who portrays Samuel, the story of a young person seeking his calling is timeless, and perhaps more relevant than ever.
“David at his darkest is always a figure of moving forward, of hope,” said Lang.