The King of Kings (2025 film)
| The King of Kings | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Seong-ho Jang |
| Written by | Seong-ho Jang |
| Based on | The Life of Our Lord by Charles Dickens |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Woo-hyung Kim |
| Edited by | Seong-ho Jang |
| Music by | Kim Tae-seong |
Production company | Mofac Studios |
| Distributed by | Angel Studios |
Release date |
|
Running time | 101 minutes[1][2] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $15 million |
| Box office | $2 million[3] |
The King of Kings is a 2025 American animated Christian film written and directed by Seong-ho Jang, loosely inspired by the children's book The Life of Our Lord. The film stars the voices of Kenneth Branagh, Uma Thurman, Mark Hamill, Pierce Brosnan, Roman Griffin Davis, Forest Whitaker, Ben Kingsley and Oscar Isaac.
The King of Kings was released in the United States by Angel Studios on April 11, 2025.
Premise
[edit]The film follows Charles Dickens, a young author who narrates the biography of Jesus Christ. Together, he and his son Walter embark on an adventure as the master storyteller engages the boy's vivid imagination.
Voice cast
[edit]- Kenneth Branagh as Charles Dickens
- Uma Thurman as Catherine Dickens
- Mark Hamill as King Herod
- Pierce Brosnan as Pontius Pilate
- Roman Griffin Davis as Walter Dickens
- Forest Whitaker as Peter
- Ben Kingsley as High Priest Caiaphas
- Oscar Isaac as Jesus Christ
- Ava Sanger as Mary Dickens
- Dee Bradley Baker as Willa the Cat
- James Arnold Taylor as Matthew, Phillip, Thomas
- Jim Cummings as Pharisee Hillel, Dismas, James the Greater
- Fred Tatasciore as Pharisee Eleazar
- Vanessa Marshall as Mary of Bethany
Production
[edit]Casting
[edit]In September 2024, it was announced that an animated adaptation loosely based on The Life of Our Lord by Charles Dickens was in development, with Kenneth Branagh, Uma Thurman, Roman Griffin Davis, Oscar Isaac, Forest Whitaker, Pierce Brosnan, Mark Hamill, and Ben Kingsley joining the cast.[4] In March 2025, Dee Bradley Baker, James Arnold Taylor, Jim Cummings, Fred Tatasciore, and Vanessa Marshall were each announced to be members of the film’s cast through its social media accounts.[5][6][7][8][9]
Release
[edit]In November 2024, Angel Studios acquired the rights to the film. It was released on April 11, 2025.[10]
The official teaser for the film was released in November 2024.[10]
Reception
[edit]Box office
[edit]In the United States and Canada, The King of Kings was released alongside The Amateur, Warfare, and Drop, and is projected to gross $12–14 million from 3,000 theaters in its opening weekend.[11] The film made $14.6 million in pre-sales heading into its release.[12] The film made $2 million from Thursday night previews.[13]
Critical response
[edit]On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 66% of 33 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.2/10.[14]
References
[edit]- ^ "The King of Kings (PG)". BBFC. March 31, 2025. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
- ^ The King of Kings (2025) | Official Website | Angel Studios. Retrieved March 8, 2025 – via www.angel.com.
- ^ "The King of Kings – Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
- ^ Couch, Aaron (September 13, 2024). "Faith-Based 'King of Kings' Sets Easter 2025 Release in Theaters". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
- ^ "Dee Bradley Baker is Willa the Cat". Facebook. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
- ^ "James Arnold Taylor is Matthew, Phillip, and Thomas". Facebook. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
- ^ "Jim Cummings is Pharisee Hillel, Dismas, and James the Greater". Facebook. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
- ^ "Fred Tatasciore is Pharisee Eleazar". Facebook. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
- ^ "Vanessa Marshall is Mary of Bethany". Facebook. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
- ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 25, 2024). "Angel Studios Acquires Animated Pic 'The King Of Kings' And Sets Pre-Easter Release; Watch The Teaser Trailer". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
- ^ Rubin, Rebecca (April 9, 2025). "Box Office: 'Minecraft' to Steamroll Over Rami Malek's 'Amateur,' Blumhouse Thriller 'Drop'". Variety. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 10, 2025). "'King Of Kings' Pre-Sales Now At $14.6M, Poised To Overtake 'Prince Of Egypt' Animated Biblical Pic Opening Record". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 11, 2025). "'Minecraft' Crosses $200M; 'Amateur' & 'King Of Kings' Herald $2M Previews, More – Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
- ^ "The King of Kings". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
External links
[edit]- 2025 films
- 2020s American films
- 2020s children's animated films
- 2020s English-language films
- Animated films about Christianity
- Animated films based on children's books
- Angel Studios films
- Cultural depictions of Charles Dickens
- Animated films based on works by Charles Dickens
- Films about writers
- Animated films about father–son relationships