(The Lion)–The Christmas movie season is usually dominated by big-studio blockbusters, but this year a Bible-based animated musical about a biblical hero is standing out – and surprising Hollywood observers.
The Angel Studios family film David (PG) grossed an estimated $22 million this weekend to finish No. 2, topping The Housemaid ($18.9 million) and The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants ($16 million) and trailing only Avatar: Fire and Ash, which won the weekend with an estimated $88 million.
Heading into the weekend, most forecasts had it finishing between fourth and sixth.
David stars Brandon Engman as young David, Christian singer Phil Wickham as adult David, and veteran voice actor Brian Stivale as Samuel. Lauren Daigle, another popular Christian singer, also has a role.
It marked a record opening for Angel Studios, surpassing the company’s previous highs – Sound of Freedom, which earned $19.6 million over its opening three-day weekend, and The King of Kings, which debuted with $19.4 million.
“Families are searching for values-driven films that honor hope, and our Angel Guild members embraced David from the very beginning,” said Brandon Purdie, head of theatrical at Angel. “We greatly value the support of our outstanding exhibitors and look forward to a robust, extended theatrical run as this popular animated musical continues to warm hearts and inspire families this Christmas.”
The film also impressed in its per-theater average ($7,061), a closely watched metric among theater owners – outperforming The Housemaid ($6,285) and The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants ($4,498), and again trailing only Avatar.
David also earned an A CinemaScore grade from moviegoers. By contrast, the new SpongeBob movie was given an A-. Mainstream critics also took notice, awarding the Bible-based film a fresh 68% on Rotten Tomatoes, with outlets from The New York Times to the San Jose Mercury News offering positive reviews.
Angel acquired David this year in partnership with 2521 Entertainment. The purchase also includes an animated television series.
The film follows David’s ascension from shepherd boy to king.
“King David – one of the greatest stories ever told – is powerfully reimagined for the big screen with this epic family musical,” said David L. Hunt, co-founder and chief creative and content officer at 2521 Entertainment. “Kids will grow up fondly remembering how their parents took them to the theater to experience this film. Moments like these become family memories that can last a lifetime.”
Stivale, himself a Christian, previously told The Lion that he sensed the project was spiritually significant from the moment he became involved.
“This movie truly does have the hand of God on it,” Stivale told The Lion. “This is not your typical animated film in any way, shape, or form. I believe everybody’s going to have that same kind of kindred experience that I had – where they see the heart of the filmmakers was a heart after God to bless the Lord and to really see this story inspire an entirely new generation.”
