Life imitated art on 19 December 2025, when a young shepherd armed with faith triumphed against seemingly insurmountable odds – not on ancient battlefields, but in modern movie theatres across North America.
The South African animated film “David” delivered a David-versus-Goliath upset at the weekend box office, earning $22 million across over 3,000 screens to claim second place behind only “Avatar: Fire and Ash.” The biblical musical outperformed both “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for Squarepants” and “The Housemaid,” despite facing formidable competition.
The film’s opening weekend marked several historic milestones. “David” achieved the biggest three-day opening in Angel Studios’ history, surpassing “Sound of Freedom,” which ultimately grossed over $250 million globally. It also recorded the highest-grossing opening weekend ever in the US for a faith-based animated film, besting both Angel’s “The King of Kings” and the Oscar-winning “The Prince of Egypt.”
For South African cinema, the success represents the best North American opening since “District 9” in 2009.
Four weeks after its debut, “David” remains in the US. top 10, having grossed over $75 million domestically. This performance places the film at number 35 on Box Office Mojo’s list of 2025’s highest-grossing films in American cinemas and within the top 10 for animated features.
The film faced a crowded marketplace on its release date, competing against sequels to two of cinema’s biggest franchises. The first two “Avatar” films rank first and third on the all-time global box office chart, while SpongeBob has been called “the number one most memed show of all time.” “The Housemaid,” starring Sydney Sweeney – IMDb’s fifth most popular star of 2025 – adapts Freida McFadden’s bestselling thriller.
Directors Phil Cunningham and Brent Dawes, both Zimbabwe-born and now Cape Town-based, led a team of over 400 local and international artists and crew. The production operated from Sunrise’s Noordhoek studio and remotely across 32 countries.
“After 30 years of dreaming, planning, working, failing and trying again, it is incredible to see the film out there,” said Cunningham. “We set out to make an Arc De Triomphe, a beacon of inspiration to our generation, so it’s wonderful to hear so many stories of how the film is genuinely encouraging and inspiring people.”
Dawes emphasised the collaborative nature of the decade-long production: “It was the most wonderful thing to witness all these people from such different backgrounds catching the vision and working tirelessly together to bring it to life. David is a movie whose time had come; we all felt it.”
Industry recognition came from major publications, with Rotten Tomatoes’ critic consensus praising the film’s “gorgeously animated backgrounds.” The New York Times called the details “surprisingly magnificent,” while Variety hailed “David” as “a spectacular showcase for the technical capabilities of South African animation house Sunrise Productions.”
Audiences responded equally enthusiastically, awarding the film an A CinemaScore and a 98% Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score.
Grammy nominee Phil Wickham voices the adult David, performing a score composed by Joseph Trapanese of “The Greatest Showman” fame.
“David” continues its theatrical run in both North America and South Africa, with distribution planned across 44 international markets by 1 January 2027. The film’s success demonstrates the global appetite for high-quality animated content from emerging markets and faith-based entertainment.
In retelling the ancient story of a shepherd boy facing an impossible giant, “David” has proven that sometimes the smallest stone can topple the mightiest opponent—whether in biblical times or at the modern box office.
- David can still be viewed at selected Ster Kinekor and NuMetro cinemas in South Africa.
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