A First Look at David: Cape Town’s New Animated Musical

Families looking for an uplifting story filled with music and colour will soon have a new favourite. David, a joyful animated musical created in Cape Town, has released its first full trailer ahead of its South African and US cinema launch on Friday, 19 December 2025.

A Classic Underdog Story for a New Generation

David retells the well-known story of the shepherd boy who steps forward when Goliath threatens an entire nation. With a sling, a few stones and strong faith, he changes the course of history.

“David is one of the most inspiring characters in human history,” says creator Phil Cunningham, a Zimbabwean filmmaker now based in Cape Town. “If you need courage to face your own giants, bring your family to watch David this December.”

Watch the trailer

A Global Cast and a Cinematic Score

The film brings together an impressive list of international talent. Phil Wickham voices the adult David, while Brandon Engman and Sloan Lucas Muldown return from Young David. Lauren Daigle, Miri Mesika and Asim Chaudhry also join the cast.

The soundtrack is composed by Joseph Trapanese, known for his work on The Greatest Showman.

Listen to the soundtrack

The teaser trailer generated more than four million views on YouTube and helped drive over $4.5 million in pre-sales.

Two Decades in the Making

Co-director Brent Dawes describes the production journey as its own David vs Goliath story. Cunningham’s film career began with Africa’s first animated feature, The Legend of the Sky Kingdom, made with recycled materials. His company, Sunrise Animation Studios, now produces global content, with its Jungle Beat channel reaching nearly 7 billion views.

David was animated by more than 400 crew members in Noordhoek, Cape Town. The team included Pixar’s Nathan Stanton as assistant director and animation director Dan Barker, a South African based in the US.

Local contributors included executive producer Jacqui Cunningham, producers Tim Keller and Rita Mbanga, co-writer Sam Wilson and production designer Lynton Levengood.

“In building Sunrise and making this movie, I’ve felt like David facing Goliath many times,” says Cunningham. “I wanted to share this message of faith and courage with a new generation.”

Bringing Faith-Friendly Cinema to a New Scale

Angel Studios will distribute the film in the US. The studio is known for its fan-funding model and for The King of Kings, which set records for biblical animation.

David earned the highest Angel Guild score ever recorded, and its pre-sales reached record levels.

Angel Studios is also running a campaign to sponsor cinema tickets for one million children worldwide. South African families can sponsor a ticket for a local child.

“Few faith-friendly films have reached this level of beauty and production quality,” says Angel Studios CEO Neal Harmon.

Extra Family Resources

Families can download free colouring-in pages for the holidays and book seats at Ster-Kinekor or Nu Metro.

Visit the official website for more information.