New Amazon series 'House of David' will bring 'unlikely' biblical hero's story to life
A new biblical epic launching on Amazon's streaming service this week will bring the story of David and Goliath to life for audiences worldwide.
"'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," Amazon says.
"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."
The Prime video series launches on February 27 with three episodes and one episode weekly thereafter.
For creator Jon Erwin, the project is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, the showrunner behind several faith-based hits revealed he's wanted to tell David's story for decades. He started writing the script for "House of David" as a teenager after visiting King David's tomb in Jerusalem.
"It just felt like this huge story to take on and to try to do justice," Erwin said.
"You underestimate when you're young the long seasons of preparation that are necessary to do something this big. And so every film that I've made, it's been trying to develop the skills necessary to take on the life of David. As a filmmaker, this is like a dream come true and something that I've been working towards my whole career."
Erwin believes David's story still resonates with people because he represents the original "underdog" who overcame the odds.
"This is the original 'hero's journey,'" Erwin said about David's humble beginnings as a shepherd boy to being anointed king of Israel.
Despite living an amazing life, David was a relatable and "flawed" hero, Erwin said.
"I love what the Bible says about him, that he's a man after God's own heart, despite being an incredibly flawed character who made some pretty epic mistakes along with his epic accomplishments. He's a very human character," Erwin said.
Erwin's production studio, The Wonder Project, partnered with MGM Studios and Amazon to develop the epic series, which was shot on location in Greece.
After the surprise success of his 2023 film, "Jesus Revolution," Erwin believes that mainstream Hollywood studios are finally taking notice of audiences who want more faith-based and uplifting entertainment.
"To have creative control of a Prime Video global release at this level of scope and scale is a miracle. But it's a miracle that I attribute to the audience and just how loud the audience has been saying we want more content, we want bigger and better things that we can watch with the whole family," Erwin said.
"The world's a tough place right now and I think people really want to be inspired. They want stories that uplift and remind us of what we can be and should be," he continued. "So I think there's a growing appetite for films that matter and restore hope in things worth believing in."
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