From a humble shepherd to one of the most notable kings in history, the new television show “House of David” brings a new perspective to the well-known biblical story of King David. The show premiered on Amazon Prime Video Feb. 27 and has already debuted in the Top 10 new shows.   

Actors Michael Iskander, who portrays David, and Martyn Ford, who plays Goliath, joined director Jon Erwin for an onstage interview during Convocation Feb. 26. Josh Rutledge, the vice president of spiritual development, hosted the interview, asking questions about the filming process and inspiring moments from the show.  

“House of David” is Erwin’s first global release, with Amazon Prime Video embracing the project and making it available to over 250 million viewers in 25 languages.  

“We are in an unprecedented moment in the entertainment industry on behalf of Christian values,” Erwin said. “The power of our unified voice has really created this moment.” 

Erwin said one of the most significant challenges in bringing the biblical story of King David to the screen was balancing creative freedom with staying true to the Bible. Erwin expressed, despite the challenges, the growing support for Christian content in the entertainment industry has been encouraging.  

Finding the right actor to play King David proved to be a bigger challenge than expected. Iskander told the audience members that he knew from the beginning this was a part that he could see himself playing. While in the lengthy auditioning process he spent lots of time fasting and praying before being selected to play the role of David.  

Before being cast in “House of David,” Iskander made his Broadway debut in the production of “Kimberly Akimbo.” However, portraying King David was his first screen acting role, which required extensive preparation and training.   

From learning how to shepherd a flock of sheep to playing the lyre, Iskander had to adapt and train for the skills that David in the Bible knew so well.  

“TV and stage are two completely different forms of art,” Iskander said. “The preparation is so different, but for me it was fun to explore new stories and learn so much.” 

King David was a man of many talents, which was heavily depicted throughout the show. 

“I have always been fascinated by David,” Erwin said. “The Psalms of David are some of the most relatable because he really is the spectrum of the human experience.” 

After hearing firsthand from the cast, students also got to experience the premiere of the show’s first episode after Campus Community that same day. At the conclusion of Convocation, Rutledge informed the student body of this, and the students erupted in cheers.   

In addition to watching the first episode on the big screen, select Liberty University Family and Consumer Science students got to reconstruct the display of Goliath’s costume.  

Senior Anna Blass, senior Krislyn Grigg, junior Liza Perdew and junior Miranda Sappington, spoke with the head of costume design, Jany Temime, who was in Greece with the cast. Temime walked the four students through the intricate process of recreating the delicate costume, which was displayed in the Montview Student Union until March 6, according to Liberty News.   

“House of David” is a celebration of faith, trust and the power of God. The series is set to release new episodes weekly, with each episode diving deeper into the life of King David. For those eager to follow this journey, “House of David” is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.  

Long is a staff writer for the Liberty Champion.