A faith-based South-African made animation is rocking the box office 

A South African made animated musical is making waves at the box office. David, produced in Cape Town by Sunrise Animation Studios and backed by Angel Studios, brings the biblical story of David from the Book of Samuel to the big screen. From humble shepherd to anointed king, David is pushed to the very edges of faith, courage, and love, culminating in a climactic battle for the soul of a kingdom. 

The film is directed by Phil Cunningham and Brent Dawes, produced by Jacqui Cunningham, Phil Cunningham, Tim Keller, Rita Mbanga, and Steve Pegram, and executive produced by Jacqui Cunningham and Phil Cunningham. 

In its first week of cinema release David became a major hit, surpassing expectations to compete with major Hollywood productions.

Much like The Prince of Egypt once held audiences spellbound, David is positioned to leave a similarly lasting impression. 

The journey of the film began three decades ago, sparked by a moment of awe in nature. 

“This journey started 30 years ago whilst canoeing down the Zambezi River. Watching an African thunder storm, a charging lion, a little flower on the bank and an eagle in flight, I saw the intelligent design, the art – and I fell in love with the Creator and the Artist. At the time I was reading David’s story which was full of adventure, excitement, music, friendship, moments of tenderness, expansiveness and wholeheartedness. I was struck that he was described as a man after God’s own heart. This was what I saw in creation and I was determined to one day tell a story of David that might inspire the world and open hearts to the possibility of an incredible, fun and exciting God. David’s faith in God’s love propelled him into a life of adventure and fearlessness. Although far from perfect, he lived wholeheartedly and we believe that audiences will be able to relate and be inspired.” said Director, Phil Cunningham 

According to the directors, casting the voice of David was one of the production’s greatest challenges, involving multiple agencies across cities around the world. 

“A key challenge was finding the voice of David as it wasn’t just one actor playing David as David grows up in the movie. We had found our Young David early on in the process when doing a demo for the project in 2017. And though we explored other options, our original David (Brandon Engman) just captured the spirit of David we were looking for – energetic, accessible, optimistic, kind, joyful… The challenge then became finding that in an older sounding voice for Adult David, which we thankfully found in Phil Wickham. Not only did we have to find the right spoken voices but Young David, Adult David and Nitzevet (David’s mother) all sing in the movie, so we had to cast actors that could sing. Fortunately with Miri Mesika joining the cast as Nitzevet we were more than covered on that front and she, along with Phil and Brandon, brought so much heart and emotion to the songs in the movie. Ultimately after a global hunt and voice recording in three continents we found the most said amazing cast to bring our characters to life with some truly moving performances.” said Director, Brent Dawes 

In this musical sound plays a powerful role, in shaping the emotional and spiritual landscape of the film. In David, sound was treated not merely as a technical layer, but as a vital storytelling tool.  Supervising Sound Editor Matthew Gair explains their approach. 

“We tried to be as faithful to the story as possible with our sound design. As God is depicted as a presence in the film through Wind and animal life we spent time in Israel, Namibia, Zambia and South Africa recording Winds, Ambiences, Thunder and Birdlife. The sound of the stone David uses to slay Goliath is derived from stones gathered from a river bed in the actual Valley of Elah. We tried to be subtle with Sound Design elements buried in the thunder that give it a vocal presence. Mostly we tried as best we could to have a gentle and natural approach to Sound Design on this film, enhancing picture where we felt it was warranted, but mostly working as an element of support. We tried to build a world that felt open and natural and from a time before our own where dogs weren’t kept as pets, chickens weren’t bred for food, and there was a sense of magic on the air.” said Matthew Gair, Supervising Sound Editor 

Now David could not have happened without its support of 400 artists, bringing the film to life required an ambitious international effort, uniting hundreds of artists across continents. Co-Producer TJ Hoffman reflects on the people and spirit that shaped the production.

“It was a tremendous privilege to help lead the recruitment for David. The sheer level of talent drawn to this project has been deeply humbling. Spanning more than 400 artists across more than two dozen countries, our crew brought extraordinary skill and heart to the work. Despite the global spread, we strived to create an environment where each person could do their best work. The spirit of a small studio adventure remained alive throughout, thanks not only to the way the production was shaped, but to the remarkable character of each crew member who brought it to life.”

Now screening in cinemas, David brings a beloved biblical story to life through music, animation, and a powerful sense of wonder. 

Film Synopsis 

DAVID, based on the biblical story, is a joyful animated musical about the life of the ancient prophet, poet, and king. After a young shepherd boy is chosen to battle a giant, he goes on to inspire an entire nation of believers. Coming to the big screen, this underdog story, full of adventure and hope, is for every giant slayer out there.