The first episode of “David: King of Israel,” a new four-part Fox Nation docudrama, premieres on Thursday, offering a dramatic reenactment of the biblical coming-of-age story of King David that provides relevant lessons in a time of conflict, actor Zachary Levi, the series’ host, told Jewish Insider.
“It’s unfortunately an evergreen [story] in that we as mankind find ourselves in conflict and war always. The only way to truly battle darkness is to battle it with light. David is an example that no matter how much we stumble, God can still love us and we can still be redeemed. I want to apply that to everyone across the world,” said Levi, a Christian who recalls “reading all of the stories in the Bible” as a child.
“David always jumped out at me. In some ways even more than the story of Jesus. It’s full of drama, intrigue, romance, betrayal and war. It’s like ‘Lord of the Rings’ in the Bible,” continued the award-winning actor, whose credits include roles in “Shazam!,” “Chuck” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” This latest project sees him narrate from an LED stage in Los Angeles that allows for the appearance of being transported through biblical-era caves and villages.
The majority of the production, however, was shot in South Africa due to the country’s “long history with faith-based productions,” Jonathan Towers, vice president of development for Fox Nation, told JI. “As a result, there are biblical sets and costumes already available in-country, as well as a deep acting community that’s very experienced with such productions. The most visible sign of that robust acting community is Nahum Hughes, a South African actor who plays David,” said Towers.
Created by Warm Springs Productions, the series’ executive producers are David Cunningham, Marc Pierce, Chris Richardson and Bridger Pierce. The team consulted with historians and archaeologists, as well as biblical experts, both Jewish and Christian, including Rabbi Meir Soloveitchik, Rabbi Pesach Wolicki and Ze’ev Orenstein, director of the City of David in Israel.
Cunningham told JI that some “creative license” was taken with costumes “where the scriptures and historical evidence was unclear.”
“But areas where we had evidence, like the priests’ garments or Goliath’s armor, we did the best we could with the resources we had to honor historical accuracy. The same would be said for the art direction overall,” said Cunningham.
The docudrama’s premiere comes one year after Christian filmmakers Jon Gunn and Jon Erwin released the eight-episode “House of David” series, which quickly became the second-most watched show on Prime Video at the time. Levi said the new series “complements” “House of David” by “diving straight into the history and the biblical source” instead of taking “some creative license in order to be an entertaining show.”
Levi said in a 2016 interview that he frequently was turned down for roles for “being too Jewish,” despite being a practicing Christian, because casting directors made assumptions based on his stage name. (Levi is his middle name, while Pugh is his last name.)
Even as antisemitism and hostility toward Israel are on the rise in Hollywood, Levi said he has no concerns about backlash over working on the “King David” series. In fact, he thinks telling the story could bring interfaith unity. At the same time, Levi is surprised by Jewish people in the industry who have “seemingly turned their backs on their own heritage and lineage.”
“I walk to the beat of my own drum in Hollywood,” he said. “I believe when you stand for right and fight for the light you can’t be wrong. I am frustrated with not only Hollywood but the world in general at our inability to see reality sometimes. A lot of people in Hollywood are turned around and confused about all of this. I wish they could see the lies they are believing and perpetuating. We need to find a way to stop the poisoning of our minds. We are living in strange times. We need to be coming together and telling stories that are redemptive and full of hope.”