Angel Studios' 'David' brings in over $70M after highest grossing faith-based animated film opening

By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, January 06, 2026

Angel Studios’ “David” has now brought in more than $70 million at the box office after making more money on ticket sales during its opening weekend than any other faith-based animated movie in history. 

“David,” an animated children’s film based on the life of King David of Israel as documented in the Bible, hit theaters on Dec. 19 and is distributed by Angel Studios, which specializes in producing faith-based movies.

According to the Internet Movie Database’s Box Office Mojo, “David” surpassed $70 million in box office sales as of Tuesday afternoon. Nearly all of its earnings, (except $400,000), come from domestic ticket sales. The film has a score of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Popcornmeter, indicating that it is very popular with moviegoers. 

“David” finished in second place on its opening weekend in terms of ticket sales in the United States, bringing in just over $22 million. The film finished significantly behind “Avatar: Fire & Ash” but finished ahead of “The Housemaid,” a highly anticipated film starring Sydney Sweeney. 

"David" made the top 10 in the two subsequent weekends it has been in theaters, coming in sixth place the weekend of Dec. 26-28, bringing in over $12 million domestically. The film placed seventh this past weekend, surpassing $7.6 million in additional ticket sales.

“David” has appeared in as many as 3,118 theaters during its nearly three-week theatrical run. 

The film gave Angel Studios the best three-day opening in the company's history, surpassing the $19.6 million brought in during the opening weekend of Angel Studios’ “Sound of Freedom," the company announced in a Dec. 22 statement. 

By bringing in the “highest-grossing faith-based animated theatrical opening of all time,” the film has surpassed records set by Angel Studios’ “The King of Kings” and “The Prince of Egypt.” 

“Families are searching for values-driven films that honor hope,” said Brandon Purdie, head of theatrical at Angel. “We greatly value the support of our outstanding exhibitors and look forward to a robust, extended theatrical run as this popular animated musical continues to warm hearts and inspire families.”

While “David” has not seen the same level of success in international markets thus far, that is expected to change in the coming weeks. Currently, the movie is only available in five foreign countries: Portugal, South Africa, Singapore, Nigeria and Ghana. “David” will hit theaters in four additional countries by the end of the month and nearly three dozen more by the end of 2026.