Twenty-six years ago, DreamWorks released the starry musical “The Prince of Egypt”, which tells the life of the Biblical figure Moïse, with critical and commercial success. The film, featuring the music of the possible composer “bad” Stephen Schwartz and the voices of Val Kilmer and Ralph Fiennes, is largely considered as a masterpiece – but the biblical genre of the animated film was apparently abandoned after the Millennium Tour.
Enter “The King of Kings”, Angel Studios’ efforts to relaunch the film for confessional children in theaters. The film, which features Oscar Isaac as Jesus, Pierce Brosnan as Pontius Pilate, Mark Hamill as King Herod, Forest Whitaker as Peter and Ben Kingsley as a high priest Ciaphas, is intelligently framed while the author Charles Dickens (Uma Thurman) of Kenneth Branagh) Catherine (Uma Thurman) are looking for their King Arthur. The greatest king of all.
Logly based on “The Life of Our Lord” by Dickens, “The King of Kings” has already broken the opening of the opening box-office established by “the Prince of Egypt”, pulling more than $ 14.6 million in presale only before his release this weekend.
The Jordan Harmon of Angel Studios is not surprised by promising figures – after all, the unique payment and financing models of the crowd -funding of Angel, both in full effect here, are precisely what made the success “The Sound of Freedom” of 2023.
“It is discouraging to think that people have not accomplished this huge audience for so long in terms of animated space,” the co -founder of Angel Studios told Variety. “We look at less things like:” What is we missing inside our slate? ” We look with what the guild really sounds.
When Angel acquired the project from the director Seong-Ho Jang in November 2024, Harmon says that there was “no question” that he would receive a timed theatrical release at Easter and the Holy Week which preceded it.
“This film is really” passion “for children. We did an early projection, and I looked at several children out with tears on their face, ”explains Harmon. “They have this massively fundamental moving moment within cinema and its community experience, and they feel so much power and emotion that they make this beautiful relationship develop even more towards love towards Christ. I really believe that this film has the potential to bless millions of lives from children where it becomes, for lack of a better term, a central memory. ”
Hamill, who expresses the tyrannical leader King Herod in “The King of Kings”, says that he was attracted by the role not only because of his Roman Catholic education and his affinity for films like the live action of 1961 “King of Kings” with Jeffrey Hunter, but because of the deliciously evil character of Herod.
“He is a classic villain. He has a total lack of empathy. It is sort of drunk with its own power, with this famous edict that all young male children are slaughtered under the age of two. I mean, classical sociopath, ”he says. “I would never be broken like King Herod if it was a live film. It is more in the kingdom of Victor Buono, where you must be imposing physically and rotated and imperative, and all this. One of the reasons why the voiceover is so attractive is that they have flowed with their ears, not their eyes. If you can ring the role, that’s all they need.”
Hamill, who calls the film “A revelation”, says he thinks that it will bring young viewers. “Children will find it extremely attractive, even if they are not attracted to religious stories. This one has everything that a great adventure should have, and yet it teaches such positive values: the idea of faith and altruism and to do what is good for the good of everyone, and not only of yourself, “he said, adding that he hoped to find time to see him in theaters. “I would love to see him in an audience with all schoolchildren. They will explode the roof of the joint! ”
Angel Studios looked at the nature adapted to children, offering a promotion “Kids Go Gree” by giving a free children’s ticket with the purchase of an adult ticket. “It was such a powerful campaign, because often, parents, either they do not have the resources, or if they have the resources, they do not have time. You give them this additional little bump where they can go,” says Harmon, adding that a children’s film forced the Angel team to create new strategies to attract an audience wider than their adult -facing content.
“Many angel films have been historically more adult films. They are heavier and more based on the theater, so children do not attend as much. It was a unique challenge,” said Harmon. “The one we think we have conquered enough.”
