Angel Studios Discussion

[RainySunshine]

Angel Studios Discussion Topic

I think it's about time we add this studio to our forum.  Angel Studios is the newcomer having only started in 2021. They have started already building a catalog of high quality animated films for the whole family. Unlike a lot of major studios, they are located in Provo, Utah. They are currently best known for the resounding hit series, "The Chosen."

This topic will focus on their animated movies and television shows they release and distribute.

[RainySunshine]

Their first animated film was The King Of Kings which had a budget of $25 million and was a box office hit at $77.7 million!  The film was animated by studios in South Korea with visual effects being done in Vietnam, and post-production in Australia.  It was designed to be dubbed in English with the voice casting being American and British.

[RainySunshine]

David is scheduled to release on December 19th, and is the telling of the Biblical story, "David and Goliath." It is a follow-up to the five-part television miniseries Young David, which tells the story of a young Israelite shepherd, poet and warrior who is predestined to become the new King of Israel who embarks on a journey from beyond the shadow of an evil Philistine giant to prove to his people that true power lies not in a kingship but in faith through God. The film is set to be a musical drama.

The movie is by Phil Cunningham, Jaqui Cunningham, the creators of "Jungle Beat" who pitched the film to Sunrise Animation Studios.  The film is being animated in South Africa.  The budget is about $61 million.

[Soda]

David's a handsome dude!

[Silverwing]

Great to see an up and coming studio with uplifting content.  Right now it appears they are using a bunch of outside studios, but maybe eventually they will have their own trusted studios to create films for them.

[Rainberry]

I hope it does well.  It looks like a good family film.

[MasterXtreme]

Ahh yes.  This studio is best known for their mega-popular series, "The Chosen." I have watched it and it is fantastic.  The best in the past 20 years for sure telling the story of Jesus' life but through the view of the Apostles and their lives. It's humanizes them even more. Number 1 on Amazon Prime, number 1 on Apple TV, and Number 2 on Netflix throughout 2025.

[Anyponedrawn]

^ I've heard nothing but good things about that series. I might have to check it out.  Maybe this Christmas!

[Silverwing]

David is getting good reviews! Very good.  Some are saying Disney better worry.  More will roll in as the film officially releases in a few days.

‘David’ Is the Best Animated Bible Movie Since ‘Prince of Egypt’

A Musical, Heartfelt, and Imaginative Retelling of Israel’s Shepherd-King

[Darrin]

Good to see a new studio on the rise.  I hope they see much success going forward.

[Silverwing]

Looks like the movie is doing quite well. Its opening broke the record for the highest weekend debut for an animated Biblical film, which was previously held by The King of Kings ($19.4 million), another 2025 film released by Angel.

Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while those surveyed by PostTrak gave it an 85% overall positive score, with 71% saying they would definitely recommend the film. 

The film released Dec 19th and so far it has made about $30 million dollars.

[RainySunshine]

Now at $49.8 million.  It should reach $60 million, which was its budget.

[NostradamusTheSeer]

 I wonder if they'll gloss over the whole "David leering at Bathsheba bathing on the rooftop" thing.  That story always rang sour to me.  Did women really make a habit of taking baths out in the open in Biblical times? Did she not have a curtain for her privy window?

[Anyponedrawn]

Now at $49.8 million.  It should reach $60 million, which was its budget.

It has hit $72 million! It's in the clear! 

I wonder if they'll gloss over the whole "David leering at Bathsheba bathing on the rooftop" thing.

Guess you will have to watch it to find out.  I don't know either.  I would imagine most would not have a building or vantage higher than a typical roof back in the past. It probably seemed like a private place since most on the ground level would never see.

[NostradamusTheSeer]

True... Although, Bathsheba was the wife of a high-ranking officer, Uriah, and I'd wager they probably resided in some sort of soldier's quarters, perhaps on an upper floor, not far from the palace. Might be interesting to see a map of the area showing the kings' palace and the surrounding structures at the time. King David's quarters must have overlooked the bathing area where the women went to ritually cleanse during their monthlies.  As Christ our savior comes from his line, and this affair, it would be a conspicuous omission indeed.

The one scripture story I'd like to see, though, is Cain and Abel. The Bible is, admittedly, a bit thin on details of what happened after Cain was marked by God and wondered into the wilderness, although other ancient Jewish texts claims he either was crushed by the roof of his house collapsing on him, or accidentally shot with an arrow on a hunting trip. ¹  Some old manuscripts call Cain the "father of monsters", and I have a whole theory myself about this--a mistranslation of some ancient word for "savage" or "brute" as "monster", and the land of Nod being described as being underground, may be where the whole mythos of cavemen came from. ²  Maybe it's not enough material for a whole movie, but it might make a dandy podcast....