David (2025)
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2025-09 to 2026-08
A young shepherd and warrior must prove that true power lies in faith rather than kingship while facing a giant and a fractured kingdom.
The story
In 1000 BC Bethlehem, Israel, David is a young musician and shepherd from the Tribe of Judah. After protecting his flock from a lion, he is anointed by the prophet Samuel as the future King of Israel. His journey takes him from the humble life of a shepherd to the royal courts of King Saul, where he must play the lyre to soothe the troubled monarch. However, the peace is shattered by the arrival of the Philistine army. David must find his courage and stand firm in his faith when a massive giant, Goliath, challenges the Israelites, forcing him to step into a destiny he is only beginning to understand.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1000 BC Bethlehem, David is a shepherd and musician anointed by the prophet Samuel to become King of Israel. While playing for the troubled King Saul, the Philistine army arrives. David faces the giant Goliath in a duel, defeating him with a sling and stone, leading the Israelites to victory. Years later, David becomes a soldier in Saul's army. Saul, fearing David's growing popularity and haunted by his own past disobedience, attempts to kill David during a confrontation. David escapes with the help of Saul's son, Jonathan. Pursued by Saul's forces, David's family flees to the desert. David eventually finds refuge in a cave where he encounters Saul's men; he chooses to spare Saul's life, demonstrating his integrity. Later, during a battle against the Philistines, David's family is captured by the Amalekites. David is taken prisoner by the Amalekites and, while facing execution, leads the Israelites in a defiant song of faith. He is eventually rescued and recognized by his people as the new King of Israel.
- First release year
- 2025
- Runtime (minutes)
- 109
- Production countries
- South Africa; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Brent Dawes; Phil Cunningham
- Writers
- Brent Dawes · writer; Kyle Portbury · writer; Sam Wilson · writer
- Cast and characters
- Phil Wickham · David; Brandon Engman · young David; Miri Mesika · Nitzevet; Sloan Lucas Muldown · Zeruiah; Ashley Boettcher · teen Zeruiah; Hector · Jesse; Jonathan Shaboo · Eliab; Jack Wagman · Abinadab; Brian Stivale · Samuel; Mark Jacobson · Jonathan; Adam Michael Gold · Saul; Asim Chaudhry · King Achish
- Genres
- animated; epic; biblical; musical; drama
- Themes
- faith; leadership
- Tone and mood
- epic; heroic
- Setting
- Ancient Israel, approximately 1000 BC.
- Premise and plot tags
- biblical; musical; coming-of-age
- Franchise connections
- Young David
- Reception
- The film received mostly positive reviews from critics and was noted for its high-quality animation and faithful storytelling, despite some critiques regarding its pacing.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 80% · scale: percentage · review count: 54; Metacritic · score: 55 · scale: 100; CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F; PostTrak · score: 85% · scale: percentage
- Production trivia
- The film's soundtrack was recorded in Budapest with the Budapest Film Orchestra.; The film's soundtrack reached number 5 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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