'Warrior, Poet, Shepherd, and King': Crowdfunding Reaches $3.3 Million for Animated Biblical Movie 'David'
Sunrise Productions, the team that produced "The Jungle Beat" series on YouTube and "Jungle Beat: The Movie" on Netflix is endeavoring to produce what they call "the most significant biblical animated movie to be made since Dreamworks' Prince of Egypt."
Angel Studios, the same production studio that released "The Chosen," is currently involved in the last days of the crowdfunding process for the animated motion picture "David," which is scheduled to be released in the summer of 2024.
Angel has already raised more than $3,300,000 towards their $5 million production goal.
The company has already raised and invested $19 million in development costs including research, production pipeline tech, visual treatment, three drafts of script development, storyboards and animatic, music, and recruiting key leads. The company's total production budget is targeted at just over $54 million.
As CBN News has reported, crowdfunding has become popular among television and film producers in recent years with producers deciding to bypass the Hollywood system in order to get their projects made and distributed through various platforms to the public.
"The Chosen," a popular multi-season look at the life of Jesus Christ, has become the largest crowd-funded series in entertainment history. Recently, the Christmas episode of "The Chosen" was screened in 1,700 theaters nationwide, raking in more than $9 million last weekend, according to Forbes.
One of the Most Inspiring Characters in Human History
The producers of "David" say the film will follow the story of the young shepherd boy found in the Bible's Old Testament up to just after the time he becomes the king of Israel.
"David is one of the most inspiring characters in human history," Angel Funding says on its website. "Warrior, poet, shepherd, and king, David's life is one of incredible color and energy."
"It's the ultimate underdog story," the website continued. "It's about much more than a shepherd boy who took on a giant. It's a story that can inspire a generation to live more courageously, and love more generously. It has the power to change us."
The movie's producers said they believe they are creating what will become the most-viewed animated film of all time by telling the story of Israel's King David as the audience has never seen it before.
"David's life was defined by his courage, faith, and his love for God, while his fallible, relatable humanity has resonated across cultures and generations. This film will teach families those principles of leadership and faith that are so often neglected in society today," Angel's website says.
The producers' other project, the popular "Jungle Beat" brand, has been broadcast in over 150 countries and has a YouTube audience of nearly 200 million views per month. "Jungle Beat: The Movie" was acquired by Netflix, and in 2020 ranked in Netflix's Top 10 Movies globally, reaching 3rd place in the U.S., with an 80% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The production team of "David" consists of individuals who have worked in Hollywood for many years, including several members who have worked for animation and live-action companies like Pixar and Disney on multiple projects, including Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc., Incredibles 2, Star Wars, Transformers and the Pirates of the Caribbean films.
Husband and wife team Phil and Jacqui Cunningham are the movie's executive producers. Phil will also direct the project with Brent Dawes who is writing the screenplay for the movie.
Grammy-winning songwriter Jonas Myrin has also signed on to the project as music director and songwriter.
For more information about the crowdfunding process, click here to go to the project's website.
Watch a short demo of the animated movie below:
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