“David” Delivers at the Box Office and Reignites a Familiar Hollywood Controversy

Shanika Johnson - (Staff Analyst)
Dec 22, 2025
3 min read

The faith-based animated musical David didn’t just arrive in theaters last weekend — it made a statement.

After opening in approximately 3,118 theaters nationwide, David generated an estimated $22 million in domestic box office revenue over its full Friday–Sunday opening weekend, placing it among the strongest openings ever for an independently distributed Christian film.

And to be clear: that total includes Sunday’s numbers.

Faith-based animated film David opens with $22M nationwide in 3,100+ theaters, defying Hollywood resistance and showcasing Angel Studios’ success. — Faith-based animated film *David* opens with $22M nationwide in 3,100+ theaters, defying Hollywood resistance and showcasing Angel Studios’ success.

A Strong Weekend by Any Measure

According to early weekend estimates reported by Box Office Mojo and The Numbers, David opened with roughly $9.6 million on Friday, followed by solid holds on Saturday and strong, church-driven turnout on Sunday.Industry-wide weekend rankings published by AP News and the major Hollywood trades confirmed David finished the weekend as one of the top-performing new releases nationally.

Faith-based films traditionally skew toward Saturday and Sunday attendance — but David exceeded expectations by posting a strong opening night and then sustaining momentum across all three days.

This was not a front-loaded event release. It was a true opening weekend.

How David Compares to Similar Faith-Based Films

When placed alongside recent values-driven hits, David’s performance stands out:

Sound of Freedom Opened amid industry skepticism, later becoming a cultural phenomenon after early resistance from exhibitors.
Jesus Revolution Delivered a strong but more traditional opening powered by church and youth turnout.
His Only Son A smaller-scale success with a more limited theatrical footprint.

With a $22 million opening weekend, David lands firmly in the top tier of modern faith-based releases, especially impressive given the competitive pre-Christmas box office corridor dominated by major studio films.

The Controversy Behind the Release

As with Sound of Freedom, David’s success did not come without friction.

According to multiple industry reports and exhibitor conversations cited by Deadline Hollywood and Variety, there was pushback from major studios including Paramount and at least one other studio regarding screen allocation and expansion during David’s opening weekend.

Despite strong presales and packed auditoriums in some markets, additional screens and showtimes were reportedly discouraged or limited. Exhibitors privately acknowledged that competitive pressure from studio-backed releases played a role in restricting expansion — even where demand clearly existed.

Critics of the practice argue this highlights a persistent double standard:Independent, faith-based films are often required to overperform before receiving the same access routinely granted to studio releases.

Angel Studios: Outside the Hollywood System

Unlike traditional studio films, David was distributed by Angel Studios, an independent distributor operating outside Hollywood’s conventional financing and marketing ecosystem.

Angel Studios’ model emphasizes:

Audience-backed funding
Grassroots promotion
Direct engagement with faith and family audiences

This approach has already produced major successes, while also creating ongoing tension with legacy studios that dominate theater relationships.

A Simple Truth From the Audience

Beyond the box office math and industry politics, there’s a simpler point worth noting:

It’s a great movie.

We went and saw David, and the response inside the theater said everything Hollywood needs to hear — families fully engaged, kids attentive, adults moved, and audiences leaving genuinely satisfied. That kind of word-of-mouth cannot be manufactured by marketing alone.

Bottom Line

With a $22 million opening weekend, a wide national footprint, and clear audience enthusiasm, David has proven that faith-based storytelling can compete and succeed on a national stage.

The controversy surrounding its release only reinforces the broader takeaway:Hollywood doesn’t decide what resonates with audiences. Audiences do.

BallotBlog.com will continue tracking the film’s performance and the wider implications for independent filmmakers challenging the traditional studio system.