Faith-Based Animated Movie Scores Easter Release Date
By Movieguide® Contributor
THE KING OF KINGS will officially be coming to theaters next Easter.
“Blue Harbor Entertainment has acquired North American rights to the faith-based animated movie and intends to release it in theaters over [the] Easter holiday,” The Hollywood Reporter revealed, adding that, while there is no exact release date, moviegoers can expect it over the April 18-20 weekend in 2025.
The movie’s director, Seong-ho “Jay” Jang, says Blue Harbor Entertainment “proved to understand the intrinsic value of this film and its faith-based engagement opportunities, and offered a creative, filmmaker-friendly business model that would provide significant outreach to families, animation fans, and the awaiting embrace of hundreds of millions of Christians across the nation.”
THE KING OF KINGS 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,” according to another article from the Hollywood Reporter.
The movie will see Dickens and his son go on a multidimensional journey, “engag[ing] his youngest son’s vivid imagination with the fascinating life of Jesus, his well-known trials and tribulations, and his notable colleagues and foes.”
The animated movie’s cast includes Oscar Isaac as Jesus and Kenneth Branagh as Charles Dickens. Ben Kingsley, Forest Whitaker, Uma Thurman, Mark Hamill, Pierce Brosnan and Roman Griffin Davis are also part of the cast.
“This cast is laden with winners of every major acting award, and they’ve all bought their A-games for a story most deserving of their impressive collective talents,” producer Anfernee Kim said.
Movieguide® previously reported on THE KING OF KINGS:
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 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.”
