Posted on 04/18/2025 4:00:48 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Just in time for Easter, the faith-based animated film from Angel Studios “King of Kings” continues to dominate the box office, coming in second place ahead of the holiday weekend.
From the same studio responsible for the sleeper hit “Sound of Freedom,” the movie tells the story of Jesus Christ from his birth to his crucifixion and resurrection.
RedState was able to watch the film and can offer our readers a review of the animated movie that takes on Charles Dickens’ short story “The Life of Our Lord," which was never published until decades after he died in 1934, as the Hollywood Reporter noted.
With a star-studded voice cast that includes Kenneth Branagh as Dickens, Forest Whitaker as Peter, Ben Kingsley as High Priest Caiphas, Pierce Brosnan as Pontius Pilate and... Mark Hamill as King Herod, Jesus’ story is told through Dickens’ youngest son Walter’s eyes, allowing the child to learn the story and the transformative power of prayer as he walks alongside the leader.
It’s the greatest story ever told…💜 Watch the official trailer for Angel Studios’ The King of Kings, only in theaters April 11! Get your tickets now! 🎟️
Get Showtimes: https://t.co/CD2bFl95QC pic.twitter.com/aeQla2vVoC— Angel Studios (@AngelStudiosInc) February 17, 2025
The movie opens with a wintry scene of Dickens' Ebenezer Scrooge walking through a cemetery only to discover his headstone.
But because this is a children’s movie, it’s soon revealed that it's actually Dickens on a stage acting out a scene from his famous story “A Christmas Carol” in front of an audience, before the family’s cat Willa appears onstage to disrupt the show.
Fast forward to Dickens at home feeling distraught about the performance, where his wife Catherine Dickens convinces him to share his latest script, “King of Kings,” with their youngest son.
“Some say it’s the greatest story ever told… our story begins two thousand years ago in the little town of Bethlehem, Israel,” the author told his son, who wants the story to center around King Arthur and slaying dragons.
Dickens then begins to share the story of Jesus’ birth, how Joseph and Mary could find no place for shelter, eventually finding an empty stable where the son of God was born.
Walter soon learns King Herod was “threatened” by the very existence of the baby and the steps the king took to find this “newborn king” and get rid of any child under two from the city.
Celebrate Easter weekend with The King of Kings. 💛 Listen to the powerful soundtrack and watch the story of Jesus Christ come to life in theaters. https://t.co/xBIChfptjn pic.twitter.com/uyq6Jpcv2C— Angel Studios (@AngelStudiosInc) April 18, 2025
The movie briefly touches on Jesus’ childhood as he grows up as a carpenter in Nazareth, celebrations of Passover, before time passes to when he’s older, needing to find others who will help him spread the word of God.
Walter continues the adventure as Jesus and those who will become his disciples go from one town to the next, where Jesus performs one miracle after another to those who have faith in who he is. “A miracle to some, a threat to others,” the story noted.
At one point, Dickens pointed out that “Unfortunately, every time Jesus showed God’s Grace, he brought on the wrath of the Pharisees. Who were threatened by Jesus' closeness to God.”
Walter also learns that the more the Pharisees try to turn Jesus' followers against him, the more powerful he grows, which leads them to devise a plan to kill Jesus after turning the people against him.
Because this is a movie for children, they find a unique way to deal with Jesus' final days, complete with a Last Supper scene, his being nailed to the cross and his death before he is risen.
The film is visually very striking, from the colorful landscapes to the bigger-than-life characters, as the story is told of Jesus’ journey with his disciples and followers. However, there are scenes around the crucifixion that are dark and could be a bit scary for really young children.
It has made $19 million to date and earned the title of ”the best opening ever for an animated Biblical movie,” as previously reported.
More: Christian Movie 'King of Kings' Set to Shatter Records, Estimated to Have Surpassed Snow White
The 'Sound of Freedom' Shows the Culture Is Slipping Through the Media's Fingers
“Charles Dickens had a tradition of sharing this story with his family, and we hope that ‘The King of Kings’ will become a part of the Easter tradition for families around the globe,” Brandon Purdie, Global Head of Theatrical Distribution & Brand Development at Angel, recently said.
Going into its second weekend, the movie remains in the top 5 at the box office, coming in second place behind the monster hit “A Minecraft Movie.”
Audiences on the movie review site Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 97% Popcornmeter rating. Over on the parent movie review site CommonSense Media, a majority of parents credit the movie with having a great message for kids.
There is currently no word from Angel Studios about how long the film will remain in theaters.
It looks really good.
The trailer looked better than a lot of lower budget Christian films.
This is playing at my local theatre, have to try and see it with the grandkids. If not, hope it will be streaming!
Has it beaten Snow Woke yet?
Maybe it’s just me, but I detect a marked shift toward the religious side of the country since July 13, Nov 5, and Jan 20.
To me, that’s a GOOD thing!
May God continue to guide and bless President Trump.
Rachel Ziegler only future role could be to play Adolf Hitler’s forgotten niece’s daughter who is destined to be the leader of the Fourth Reich she was meant to be.
Bound to introduce subtle error about Christ’s deity as Angel is Mormon.
RE: Has it beaten Snow Woke yet?
In dollar terms, NO.
In profitablity, ABSOLUTELY.
Consider, The latest live-action adaptation of Snow White (2025), starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, was made with a reported production budget of $250 million. However, its box office performance has been disappointing, with a global gross of approximately $181.6 million.
Given that movies typically need to earn 2.5 times their production budget to break even (accounting for marketing and distribution costs), Snow White would have needed around $625 million to be profitable. It was an absolute money loser for Disney.
Now consider the KING OF KINGS. The animated movie King of Kings by Angel Studios was released on April 11, 2025. As of now, the film has grossed approximately $26.1 million at the box office. It was made for a mere $10 million and the voice cast are highly accalimed actors. Audience reviews are very favorable, with a 97% audience score.
My 10 year old granddaughter just saw it and she said it answered a lot of her questions.
Are you referring to the stories themselves in the Biblical accounts?
Or are you referring to the quality of media and animation directed towards children (which, admittedly, is very hit or miss, and your mileage may vary as to which is which). Prime example:
28 million so far in 7 days. Snow White would love these numbers.
What with President Trump’s Holy Week declaration, let’s hope so.
Presidential Message on Holy Week, 2025
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2025/04/presidential-message-on-holy-week-2025/
“This Holy Week, Melania and I join in prayer with Christians celebrating the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ—the living Son of God who conquered death, freed us from sin, and unlocked the gates of Heaven for all of humanity.
Beginning with Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and culminating in the Paschal Triduum, which begins on Holy Thursday with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, followed by Good Friday, and reaching its pinnacle in the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night. This week is a time of reflection for Christians to memorialize Jesus’ crucifixion—and to prepare their hearts, minds, and souls for His miraculous Resurrection from the dead.
During this sacred week, we acknowledge that the glory of Easter Sunday cannot come without the sacrifice Jesus Christ made on the cross. In His final hours on Earth, Christ willingly endured excruciating pain, torture, and execution on the cross out of a deep and abiding love for all His creation. Through His suffering, we have redemption. Through His death, we are forgiven of our sins. Through His Resurrection, we have hope of eternal life. On Easter morning, the stone is rolled away, the tomb is empty, and light prevails over darkness—signaling that death does not have the final word.
This Holy Week, my Administration renews its promise to defend the Christian faith in our schools, military, workplaces, hospitals, and halls of government. We will never waver in safeguarding the right to religious liberty, upholding the dignity of life, and protecting God in our public square.
As we focus on Christ’s redeeming sacrifice, we look to His love, humility, and obedience—even in life’s most difficult and uncertain moments. This week, we pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our beloved Nation. We pray that America will remain a beacon of faith, hope, and freedom for the entire world, and we pray to achieve a future that reflects the truth, beauty, and goodness of Christ’s eternal kingdom in Heaven.
May God bless you and your family during this special time of year and may He continue to bless the United States of America.”
The King Of Kings
Official Trailer | In theaters April 11 | 2:59
Angel Studios | 426K subscribers | 5,886,614 views | February 17, 2025
We saw it and it is definitely geared to 10 and up. Younger kids probably wouldn’t have the attention span for the beginning and there are some more serious scenes that might be upsetting to little ones. Other than that, it was very nicely done.
Trailer #2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkGZ4ykhYPg
Our church was given 2 screens in a local theater at a discounted price so the congregation could see it. Very well done. It’s a great way for anyone to get an introduction to the Gospel.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
