Jon Erwin is someone who has had great success as a filmmaker over the years. From “October Baby” back in 2011 to “Jesus Revolution” and back to “I Can Only Imagine,” this Birmingham, Alabama-native has always had a knack for finding and telling stories that resonate with people deeply for their foundational family values told through the lens of faith.
Erwin is also someone who is a collector and keeper of past memories that have developed into projects he’s passionate about. One needs to look no further than his 2023 release “Jesus Revolution” starring Kelsey Grammer and Jonathan Roumie.
Intrigued by a 1966 Time magazine cover stating: “Is God Dead?,” he carried around the magazine in his computer bag for nearly a decade before turning that base idea into the aforementioned movie that generated $54 million at the box office.
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That passion project is a new eight-episode limited series airing on Amazon Prime called “House of David.” Stemming from a vivid memory he had visiting Israel with his father at age 16, Erwin thought that one day he could make a sweeping, visually spectacular recreation on the life of King David from the Old Testament.
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“I think the lesson is that success is long obedience in the same direction,” Erwin shares. “And these things take longer than you think if God’s calling you to do something. When I was in Jerusalem with my dad all those years ago, the Bible just came to life in ways that were mesmerizing and very emotional.”
Starring Broadway actor Michael Iskander, Ali Suliman, Ayelet Zurer and Stephen Lang, “House of David” tells the story of the ascent of the aforementioned beloved biblical figure, who eventually becomes the most renowned and celebrated king of Israel.
“I’ve thought about why do we love these stories?” ponders Erwin, who recently found out that ‘House of David’ is the No. 1 show on Amazon Prime. “And I think it’s because we’re all wired to need a savior. I think we’re wired to need a hero. And then also, I think we’re all wired to seek out a destiny that is beyond our comfort zone and meaningful. We all want to think that we have some role to play in a story that’s bigger than we are. That is David.”
Erwin and Iskander join us on the podcast to discuss the critical importance of biblical accuracy in retelling David’s story, why this famous figure of the Old Testament is considered the first superhero in human history, and how this project humbled each of them.
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