What began as a father’s creative way of teaching his children about Jesus Christ and Charles Dickens has now become a cinematic phenomenon. Seong-ho ‘Jay’ Jang, a respected South Korean visual effects veteran, is set to premiere his animated film, The King of Kings, in over 50 countries starting April 11, with $7.8 million in pre-ticket sales already recorded at the U.S. box office.
Driven by a desire to share the Gospel in an engaging and universally relatable way, Jang wrote, directed, and produced the film over a 10-year period, blending cutting-edge animation with storytelling inspired by Dickens and the life of Jesus.
“My teenagers wouldn’t sit to hear me talk about Jesus or Charles Dickens,” said Jang in an interview with Sarah Holloway. “So I chose to animate it for them—and now it’s going global.”
Backed by Angel Studios, the company behind the global hit The Chosen, the film boasts a star-studded voice cast:
-
Kenneth Branagh as Charles Dickens
-
Uma Thurman as Catherine Dickens
-
Pierce Brosnan as Pontius Pilate
-
Mark Hamill as King Herod
-
Forest Whitaker as Peter
-
Ben Kingsley as High Priest Caiaphas
-
Oscar Isaac as Jesus Christ
With over 250 Korean VFX artists involved and sound mixing done in Australia, the production spans several countries. Jang also collaborated with pastors and ministers to ensure the film’s scriptural authenticity.
“As a Christian, I wanted to tell people who Jesus is and what He’s all about,” Jang said. “But if it’s not entertaining, people won’t watch. That’s why we made sure it was done with excellence, visually and emotionally.”
Actor Pierce Brosnan, who voices Pontius Pilate, said, “I am sure it’ll touch many people’s hearts.”
‘The King of Kings’ aims to break barriers, inviting both religious and secular audiences into a powerful story about identity, redemption, and grace—through the eyes of one of literature’s most iconic writers.
