WHEN ‘The Chosen’ raised $47 million through crowdfunding it was considered jaw dropping feat in film production circles. Now, another upcoming faith-based film titled ‘David’ has broken that record by raising $49 million.
The film, produced by Angel Studios, is now officially the largest audience-funded production in history, industry insiders said.
The family-friendly animated movie, still in production, which had set a target of raising $60 million by March 31 has already raised $49 million, director Phil Cunningham said Thursday in a Facebook livestream.
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The goal is for the film to be the most significant biblical animated film since Dreamworks’ box office hit Prince of Egypt (1998). Like Prince of Egypt, the upcoming film will be a musical. The makers of the film want it to reach a broad audience.
“We really believe that David is one of the few biblical stories that can go beyond the traditional faith audience,” Cunningham was quoted as telling Christian Headlines. “So we want to make this movie in a way that the Christian audience absolutely loves and is so glad that the story that they love has been told the way that we tell it. But can we also tell the story in a way that is accessible and invites people who wouldn’t necessarily be attracted to the Bible very often, and they can come and get something out of it to be challenged and inspired?”
“This is now the largest audience-crowdfunded show in history,” said Neal Harmon, CEO of Angel Studios. “.. We’re just so excited for what is happening now.”
“David wrote so much music. He was an artist, he was a musician,” Cunningham said. “Integrating music into the story for us is not challenging. It’s natural. It almost feels like the only way to tell the story.”
