The first episode of “David: King of Israel,” a four-part docudrama hosted by actor Zachary Levi, premiered Thursday on Fox Nation, offering a dramatic retelling of the biblical story of King David. Levi, known for his roles in “Shazam!” and “Chuck,” described the narrative as perpetually relevant, particularly in times of global conflict.
“It’s unfortunately an evergreen [story] in that we as mankind find ourselves in conflict and war always,” Levi told Jewish Insider. “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 One can still be redeemed. I want to apply that to everyone across the world.”
Levi expressed a long-held fascination with the story of David, even comparing its scope and drama to epic fantasy narratives. “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,” he said.
The production employed innovative techniques, with Levi narrating from an LED stage in Los Angeles designed to simulate biblical landscapes. However, the majority of filming took place in South Africa, according to Jonathan Towers, vice president of development for Fox Nation. Towers explained that South Africa offered a pre-existing infrastructure for faith-based productions, including readily available sets, costumes and a skilled acting pool. South African actor Nahum Hughes portrays King David in the series.
The docudrama was created by Warm Springs Productions, with David Cunningham, Marc Pierce, Chris Richardson, and Bridger Pierce serving as executive producers. The production team consulted with a range of religious and historical experts, including Jewish Rabbis Meir Soloveitchik and Pesach Wolicki, and Ze’ev Orenstein, director of the City of David in Israel, to ensure a degree of accuracy in its portrayal of the biblical period.
Cunningham acknowledged that some “creative license” was taken with costume design where historical evidence was incomplete. “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 ” he told Jewish Insider.
The release of “David: King of Israel” follows the success of the eight-episode “House of David” series on Amazon Prime Video last year. Levi positioned the Fox Nation series as complementary to the earlier production, emphasizing its focus on the biblical source material. “It’s diving straight into the history and the biblical source” rather than taking “some creative license in order to be an entertaining show,” he said.
Levi also reflected on past experiences in Hollywood, recalling a 2016 interview where he stated he was frequently passed over for roles due to assumptions about his religious background, despite being a practicing Christian.
Despite a rise in antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment within the entertainment industry, Levi expressed confidence in the project and its potential to foster interfaith understanding. He also voiced surprise at what he described as a distancing from heritage among some Jewish individuals in the industry. “I walk to the beat of my own drum in Hollywood,” Levi 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.”
