Angel Studios’ newest release, King of Kings, is much more than a refreshed version of Jesus’ life; it’s a history-making movie. 

During its opening weekend, King of Kings generated over $19 million at the box office. That achievement broke the record for the biggest-ever debut for an animated biblical film in 1998, when DreamWorks’ The Prince of Egypt was released. 

Another impressive note about the fantastic film is that the $19 million it earned during its opening was the best opening for a faith-based film in the post-pandemic era and the fourth-best all-time, behind The Passion of the Christ (2004, $83.8 million), The Son of God (2014, $25.6 million), and Heaven Is for Real (2014, $22.5 million).

“The Angel Guild picks winners. Angel’s revolutionary idea is simple: know your audience — and listen to them,” said Global Head of Theatrical Distribution & Brand Development at Angel, Brandon Purdie. “The CinemaScore for The King of Kings says it all. The film is one of only 128 films to achieve an A+ CinemaScore, and only the fifth animated film to hold that title that isn’t a Pixar/Disney production. Families want quality films to see together in theaters. This weekend simply reflects what audiences are craving.”

Animated films usually perform well in theaters as family-friendly offerings. Last year, Inside Out 2 and Mufasa: The Lion King did what Pixar and Disney typically do for their animated releases—dominate the box office worldwide. 

Yet, animated biblical movies haven’t experienced that kind of success. Even when the makers of The Prince of Egypt set out to create another story, Joseph King of Dreams, it fared far less in comparison. Initially, it was slated for a theatrical release but ended up being released straight to DVD and forgotten about by many would-be fans. 

Other films in this category have been other DVD (or VHS) releases, such as Jonah: A Veggie-Tales Movie, Genesis: Paradise Lost, The Lion of Judah, or The Star (as in, of Bethlehem). The 2017 movie, starring Tyler Perry, was nominated for a GMA Dove Award for Inspirational Film of the Year and grossed $62 million on a $20 million budget. 

Earning $15 million in pre-sales alone, King of Kings peaked at No. 2 at the U.S. box office, another unfathomable achievement in this sub-genre. 

The Dickensian film features incomparable talents, such as Oscar Isaac as Jesus, Pierce Brosnan as Pontius Pilate, Kenneth Branagh as Charles Dickens, Uma Thurman as Catherine Dickens, Mark Hamill as King Herod, Ben Kingsley as High Priest Caiaphas, Forest Whitaker as Peter and Roman Griffin Davis as Walter Dickens, the wondering child.