The tale of David vs. Goliath is one of the most popular and inspiring stories in anthropological history (originating in the Christian Bible), but you’ve never seen it told like this.The ultimate underdog storyshould need little introduction, as David, a small shepherd from the Valley of Elah, Israel, took down the mighty, bronze-armor adorned giant, using nothing but a slingshot — spoiler alert. The story has been told, and re-told countless times. But, a new Prime Video series is adding a flare of drama, and appears to be heavily inspired by HBO’sGame of Thrones.
House of Davidhas transformed the biblical story into an eight-episode series.The series was created by Jon Erwin (Jesus Revolution&American Underdog) and Jon Gunn (Ordinary Angels), based on an idea by Erwin andThe Chosencreator, Dallas Jenkins. Up-and-coming actor, Michael Iskander, best known for starring in the award-winning stage musical,Kimberly Akimbo, plays David in the series, with actor and bodybuilder, Martyn Ford (Those About to Die) portraying the menacing Goliath.House of Davidpremieres on Prime Video on February 27, releasing the first three episodes. New episodes will then be released weekly. The official synopsis reads:
“The once-mighty King Saul falls victim to his own pride, as an outcast shepherd boy, David is anointed as the second king.”
The first trailer forHouse of Davidhas been released, and it looks epic in Biblical proportions. The trailer teases the intense action scenes, including the eponymous battle between David and Goliath, as well as the aftermath of David’s appointment as the new King of Israel. The series also stars Ali Suliman (Jack Ryan),Ayelet Zurer (Daredevil),Indy Lewis (Industry), Stephen Lang (Avatar: The Way of Water), Yali Topol Margalith (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder), and Sam Otto (Snowpiercer).
The Rise of Biblical TV Dramas and Movies
For as long as the medium of moving pictures has been around, filmmakers have retold biblical stories on screen. The first iteration of a biblical film dates as far back as 1897, titledThe Horitz Passion Play, although some film scholars credit 1903’sSamson and Delilahas the first. Arguably the most popular biblical movie from the “golden age” of Hollywood is Cecil B. DeMille’sThe Ten Commandments, released in 1956. In more modern times, major filmmakers like Martin Scorsese (The Last Temptation of Christ), Ridley Scott (Exodus: Gods and Kings), andMel Gibson (The Passion of Christ)have tackled stories from the Bible.
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Much more recently, Dallas Jenkin’sThe Chosen, an episodic series about the life of Jesus of Nazareth, has become a major smash-hit in the US, running for four seasons, and even raising over $100 million from fan funding. In the age of streaming, these stories are now being re-told as episodic dramas and direct-to-streaming movies. Last year saw the release ofMary, a new movietelling the story of Mary Magdalene.Despite some intense controversy surrounding the casting of the titular figure, the movie was a massive success on Netflix.
