The animated biblical movie The King of Kings turned into a box office powerhouse in its second weekend with a mere 10% drop in business from its debut weekend.
The official synopsis for The King of Kings reads, “Inspired by Charles Dickens, The King of Kings features a father telling his son the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey.
“Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice. The King of Kings invites us to rediscover the enduring power of hope, love, and redemption through the eyes of a child.”
Directed by Seong-Ho Jang, The King of Kings stars the voices of Oscar Isaac as Jesus Christ, Pierce Brosnan as Pontius Pilate, Mark Hamill as King Herod, Forest Whitaker as Peter, and Ben Kingsley as High Priest Caiaphas.
The voice cast for the film also includes Kenneth Branagh as Charles Dickens, Uma Thurman as Catherine Dickens and Roman Griffin Davis as Walter Dickens, while James Arnold Taylor voices multiple roles in The King of Kings, including Melchior, Matthew, Thomas, Phillip and Young Jesus.
Angel Studios, which produced The King of Kings, issued a press release Sunday noting that the faith-based film earned $17.2 million in North American theaters in its second Friday to Sunday frame, which is only a 10% drop from the film’s $19.3 million opening weekend from April 11-13.
The King of Kings is playing in 3,535 theaters domestically and has earned $45.3 million through Sunday.
Rated PG, The King of Kings set a record in its debut weekend at the box office for the biggest opening for a faith-based animated film. The film earned $19.3 million in its opening frame, besting the previous record holder, The Prince of Egypt, which earned $14.5 million in its opening weekend in 1998.
Assessing the financial success of The King of Kings in theaters, Brandon Purdie, Angel Studio’s Global Head of Theatrical Distribution & Brand Development, said in a statement, “At Angel, our Angel Guild plays a crucial role in picking winners, and this film is a testament to that vision.
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“The King of Kings is an epic, emotional journey made for the big screen,” Purdie added. “Theaters are responding by making room, and audiences are flocking in droves, speaking loud and clear: they’re here for stories that amplify light.”
While Rotten Tomatoes critics only gave The King of Kings a 65% “fresh” rating based on 52 reviews, the film earned a 98% “fresh” score on the critic aggregation site’s Popcornmeter based on 1,000-plus verified user ratings.
The King of Kings came in third place at the domestic box office this weekend, behind the video game adaptation A Minecraft Movie at No. 2 with an estimated $41.3 million in ticket sales and vampire thriller Sinners at No. 1 with an estimated take of $45.6 million.
Credit: Forbes
