A biblical TV series created by an Alabama native has already been renewed for a second season by Prime Video.
Birmingham-born filmmaker Jon Erwin said he based “House of David” on the first script he ever wrote, about the life of King David. He’s hoping to tell the entire life story over three seasons.
The sixth of eight episodes in season one drops on Thursday, March 20, with the season finale set to drop on April 3.
“To tell it on Prime Video, it’s the first global release of my career,” said Erwin, who co-wrote and co-directed a surprise hit with the 2023 movie “Jesus Revolution” starring Kelsey Grammer.
Erwin kept his script on the life of David and turned it into the first season of “House of David,” a series that began airing Feb. 27 on Prime Video, viewable in more than 240 countries.
So far, “House of David” has reached 22 million viewers, so Prime Video announced this week it has officially renewed the series for a second season.
It ranks among the top ten series debuts in the United States this year.
The series follows King Saul as he falls victim to his own pride. At the direction of God, the prophet Samuel anoints an unlikely, outcast teenager as the new king. As Saul loses power over his kingdom, David finds himself on a journey to fulfill his destiny, navigating love, loss, and violence in the court of the very man he’s destined to replace.
Season Two will follow the aftermath of the battle between David and Goliath and David’s rise to the throne. As he navigates palace politics, his family’s jealousy, and a growing romance, David steps deeper into his destiny and learns what it means to become a great leader.
“Jon Erwin and Jon Gunn’s compelling creative vision has solidified our belief in the series and we are excited to deliver more of the story to our customers,” said Vernon Sanders, head of television for Amazon MGM Studios, in a statement released this week. “We look forward to a continued journey with Wonder Project as we further expand our slate to encompass faith-based series.”
Co-creators Erwin and Gunn also reacted to the renewal in a joint statement.
“We are humbled by the extraordinary reaction this show has earned from the faith audience worldwide,” they said. “Thanks to them and our partners at Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, Wonder Project will bring more of the Bible and this epic saga to a global audience. Congratulations to our incredible cast and crew.”
Michael Iskander portrays David, the shepherd-turned-giant-killer who awaits his turn on the throne.
“The script I wrote would encompass three seasons,” Erwin said in a recent interview with AL.com from his home in Franklin, Tenn. “We’ve done one of three. We’ll see if, God willing, we can finish it.”
The cast also includes Ali Suliman as King Saul, Ayelet Zurer as Queen Ahinoam, Saul’s wife; Stephen Lang as the prophet Samuel; Indy Lewis as Mychal and Yali Topol Margalithas Mirab, Saul’s daughters; Ethan Kai as Jonathan, Saul’s favored son; Sam Otto as Eshbaal, the rebellious son; Oded Fehr, as Abner, Saul’s advisor; Louis Ferreira as Jesse, David’s father; Davood Ghadami as Eliab, David’s eldest brother and decorated warrior in King Saul’s army; Ashraf Barhom as Doeg, a mysterious Edomite; and Alexander Uloom as King Achish.
In association with Wonder Project and Amazon MGM Studios, House of David is produced by Nomadic Pictures and Argonauts, along with Kingdom Story Company and Lionsgate Television.
Erwin had previously formed the Kingdom Story company for him and his brother, Andrew, to produce Christian movies.
The Wonder Project made it possible to finance “House of David” and other projects appealing to a Christian family audience.
“There’s such an appetite for this type of content,” Erwin said.