Produced in Cape Town, the joyful animated musical David has just dropped its official trailer ahead of the film’s wide release in cinemas across South Africa and the United States on 19 December 2025.
When the giant Goliath rises to terrorise a nation, a young shepherd steps forward, armed with only a sling, a few stones – and unshakable faith.
“David is one of the most inspiring characters in human history: a warrior, poet, shepherd and king,” says creator Phil Cunningham, a Zimbabwean who now lives in Cape Town. “If you need to find the courage to slay giants in your life, bring your family along to watch David this December.”
Grammy nominee Phil Wickham leads the cast as the adult David, with Brandon Engman and Young Artist Award winner Sloan Lucas Muldown reprising their roles from Young David. The cast also features two-time Grammy winner Lauren Daigle, award-winning Israeli singer Miri Mesika and two-time BAFTA nominee Asim Chaudhry – all singing a score composed by Joseph Trapanese.
The teaser trailer racked up over four million views on YouTube and the film has already generated over $4.5 million in pre-sales.
“I’ve felt like David facing Goliath so many times,” says Cunningham. “This is a story that I’ve kept coming back to time and again for inspiration. I wanted to bring its powerful message of faith and courage to a new generation – and animation is the most powerful storytelling medium in the world right now to reach them.
“I can’t wait for families to enjoy David together on the big screen, and rediscover the joy of cinema and the power of biblical stories.”
The ultimate underdog story, David is being distributed in the US by Angel Studios. Angel has reinvented film funding by removing Hollywood gatekeepers and empowering everyday fans – the Angel Guild – to greenlight the development and distribution of the movies and TV shows they want to see.
The Angel Guild’s scores for David were the highest ever recorded, while its pre-sales set a new record for Angel.
Angel is running a crowdfunded campaign to get one million children to watch David for free. You can join the campaign by sponsoring a ticket for a South African child.
As Angel Studios’ co-founder and CEO Neal Harmon says, “I’m not sure there’s been a faith-friendly film this beautiful, this high production value ever.”
Book soon via Ster-Kinekor or Nu Metro. And download free David colouring-in pictures to keep your children busy this holiday.
