Faith-Based Films Are in a ‘Renaissance’ Era, Says ‘House of David’ Director

Before helming House of David alongside co-director Jon Gunn, Erwin was a filmmaker behind a string of hits, including Jesus Revolution and I Can Only Imagine.

"The more successful these things become, the more we're able to go bigger and bigger," Erwin told Crosswalk Headlines before the K-Love Fan Awards. "I mean, House of David had almost 700 people working on it—and so these things are not inexpensive to make. And so when the audience speaks this loudly, it gives us an opportunity to improve our craft—to keep trying to master our craft and to keep making things bigger and better.

"And so we really are in this moment—Renaissance is such a cool idea because it was such a moment in history where faith was fused with art, and it was the best of art. And so to think that we're in this moment of just explosive growth in film and television is so cool, and I'm just grateful to have any role at all in it."

The modern faith-based genre gained mainstream momentum in 2004 with Mel Gibson's The Passion of The Christ, an instant blockbuster. Two years later, Alex and Stephen Kendrick released Facing the Giants, which grossed $10 million on a $100,000 budget. The Kendricks produced other hits, including Fireproof (2008), Courageous (2011), and War Room (2015)—the last of which climbed to No. 1 at the box office. The Kendricks' latest film, 2024's The Forge, opened in the Top 5.

Erwin and his brother Andy Erwin of Kingdom Story released their first major hit, I Can Only Imagine, in 2018.

The faith-based genre, Jon Erwin said, has improved year after year.

"As they say, if you leap further, it's because you stand on the shoulders of giants. Every single film that was made [in the faith genre] kind of laid the foundation," he said. "And we needed the time to try to bridge the gap between Christianity and the craft of film and television, and we needed to get better and better at what we did. And it was the early successes that allowed for the moment that we're in."

"...I can't wait to see the stories that are told over the next five years. And I also can't wait to see the talent that is going to come behind us and far outshine our abilities."

Meanwhile, Erwin provided a preview of Season 2 of House of David.

"Season 2 focuses on the friendship between Jonathan and David," he said. "We start the season right in the aftermath of Season 1, which is the epic battle between Israel and the Philistines. And it is epic. So it really is much more of an action-adventure season as David becomes the warrior he's destined to be. And it's bigger in every way."

Related: ‘House of David’ Star Michael Iskander Credits ‘Work of the Holy Spirit’ for Show’s Success

Photo credit: ©Prime Video; used with permission.

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. 

Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.