Animated Movie KING OF KINGS Casts Oscar Isaac as Jesus

Published: May 20, 2024

Animated Movie KING OF KINGS Casts Oscar Isaac as Jesus

By Movieguide® Contributor

The upcoming faith-based animated film titled KING OF KINGS just cast Movieguide® Grace Prize winner Oscar Isaac as Jesus Christ, while Forest Whitaker will voice the apostle Peter.

The Hollywood Reporter wrote, “the faith-based feature is very loosely inspired by ‘The Life of Our Lord,’ a little-known Charles Dickens short story that was published posthumously and that depicted the life and times of Jesus.”

“The upcoming animated movie will follow Charles Dickens (Kenneth Branagh) and his son, Walter (Roman Griffin Davis) as they cross paths with Jesus thanks to a multi-dimensional adventure. The project is meant to make the relationships Jesus had with his allies and enemies easy to understand for the younger members of the audience, in a tale that can be enjoyed by the entire family,” Collider reported.

The film is being made by a South Korean animation house. “Seong-ho ‘Jay’ Jang, known as a visual effects pioneer in Korea, is directing KING OF KINGS while Anfernee Kim (LAST KNIGHTS, JOHN WOO’S THE CROSSING 2) is producing,” The Hollywood Reporter shared.

The script was written by Jang and Rob Edwards, who created Disney’s THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG.

The Hollywood Reporter said, “The producers hope to have the Dickens duo, as well as the family cat named Willa, immersed in the ancient tale, interacting with Jesus, his disciples and his detractors in an effort to make the biblical journey easily relatable, readily understood and captivatingly entertaining for families and, especially, to children of all ages.”

“A film capturing the epic life of Jesus Christ warrants a stellar cast, and our actors announced to date – Oscar Isaac, Forest Whitaker, Kenneth Branagh, Uma Thurman and Roman Griffin Davis – is impressive by any measure,” said producer Kim. “Oscar perfectly captures the impactful delivery of Jesus, and Forest’s expertly embodies the complicated aspects of Peter.”

Also involved in the film are Jamie Thomason, an Emmy Award-winning dialogue and casting director, and Andrew Mann, a veteran filmmaker executive, as executive producers.

Movieguide® previously reported on KING OF KINGS:

Kenneth Branagh and Uma Thurman have been cast in the upcoming THE KING OF KINGS, a movie that will explore Charles Dickens’ Christian faith…

Branagh is set to voice Dickens. Thurman will voice the famed author’s wife, Catherine Dickens, and JOJO RABBIT star Roman Griffin Davis will play the couple’s youngest son, Walter.

“It is through the Dickens family that our audience experiences the life of Jesus Christ, and Kenneth Branagh, Uma Thurman and Roman Griffin Davis bring all the emotion, awe, heart and gravitas to these essential characters,” producer Anfernee Kim said in a statement. “These three actors are at the core of our story, and anchor a truly impressive cast—many of whom we look forward to sharing in the near future.”