Interview with Phil Cunningham
After more than three decades in the making, David has emerged as one of the most remarkable faith-based films of our time. The animated musical retelling of the Biblical account of David and Goliath has shattered box-office records in the United States, becoming the highest-grossing faith-based animated opening in history and marking the strongest North American debut for a South African film since District 9.
A gem out of Cape Town
Behind this global success is a deeply local story. Directed by Phil Cunningham and Brent Dawes, and produced by Cape Town-based Sunrise Animation Studios, David was created by a global team of artists led from South Africa. For Cunningham, who has lived and worked in Southern Africa for many years, the journey began long before the film ever reached the screen – rooted in Scripture, shaped by faith, and refined through decades of perseverance. In this interview, Phil Cunningham reflects on the heart behind David, the long road to its release, and why the story of a shepherd boy with unwavering faith still speaks powerfully to our generation today.
David has been part of your journey for over 30 years. Can you take us back to where this story first began for you?
The seed of the idea first started when I was canoeing down the Zambezi 37 years ago. You could canoe for four or five days without seeing another human being. And it was there that I fell in love with the incredible character of God. Just seeing the drama of a thunderstorm, the power of a charging lion. I just met the most creative, adventurous, and expansive God. Then I read in the Bible, “I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart”, and I just thought how incredible it would be to make a movie on David and give people a glimpse into the true nature of God. Not some boring, stuffy, and austere character, but the most incredible Creator of the heavens and the earth.
Why do you believe the story of David is especially relevant for this generation?
I think it’s relevant for all generations. It’s a story that has resonated with people for 3000 years, but it is especially relevant for the times we live in. There is so much fear, opinion, and confusion across the globe, and David’s story really can inspire us to live with faith, not fear, and can help us realise that we are part of a much bigger and overarching story. Walking down our local beach, I picked up one grain of sand and had a thought – if this one grain represented 70 years, then the beach ahead of me represented eternity, trillions upon trillions of grains of sand. Living for eternity helps put into perspective our time on earth. “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Cor 4:17).
You chose to tell this Biblical account as an animated musical. Why was that the right medium for this story?
Making it an animated musical opened up a much bigger audience for us to share the story of David with. Animation has the power to cross race, cultural, gender, and age barriers better than any other entertainment medium. There is a lot in the story of David that is not really appropriate to depict for kids, but making it animation and a musical allowed us to lean more into the adventure of the story without having to be too graphic with what we showed.
David is often reduced to the moment he defeats Goliath. Which side of David did you most want audiences to truly see?
I wanted the audience to see David as a human being like you and me. That he had doubts and failings, but he never let those cut him off from his relationship with God. Taking the story beyond Goliath allowed us to show different aspects of David. When David is joyful, he shows it. When he’s confused, he asks God. When he’s lost and afraid, he’s not afraid to bring that to God. I think it’s just such a healthy relationship where David really did trust and approach God as a father. He held nothing back but lived with a child-like faith.
How did you balance staying faithful to Scripture while crafting a cinematic story?
Having to condense a large portion of David’s life into 100 minutes meant we had to leave a lot on the cutting room floor. It also meant we had to condense a few things to try and keep the story trackable and flowing. We did our best to ask what the intent or heart of Scripture was and try to preserve that as best we could. The wonderful thing is that a lot of people only really know of the David vs Goliath moment, but there is so much more meat and interest to dig into after that.
This article is featured in the February/March 2026 issue of JOY! Magazine. Read a digital version of this magazine here: joygifts.co.za
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Date published: 26/02/2026
Feature images sourced from article
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