Everybody loves a historical epic — there’s no doubt about that. When you watch something that takes you into the past, the attention to detail in building the world you’re about to spend time in is crucial to ensuring the audience believes what they see. Fortunately, with a production like House of David, believing what you see is as clear a display of faith as you could ask for.
Last summer, Collider was invited by Amazon and Wonder Project to Greece — during a heatwave so intense, it even had the native Greeks sweating — to have an insider’s look at Prime Video’s latest big bet, House of David, an epic retelling of the story of David, the little guy from the Bible who defeated the giant Goliath. Here’s everything we learned from our day on set ahead of the Prime Video series’ premiere on February 27.
Why Greece Was the Perfect Setting

Greece was the ideal location thanks to its unique landscapes and rich history.

At 9 AM local time, Collider, alongside other media outlets, arrived at Kapa Studios on the outskirts of Athens — the capital city of the country, where the scale of House of David’s production was immediately evident. A grand biblical epic, from the outset, it was clear that filmmakers Jon Erwin (Jesus Revolution, American Underdog) and Jon Gunn (Ordinary Angels), were determined to create something that hadn’t been seen before as far as it came to biblical, or faith-based, stories. As we settled into a gigantic empty sound stage that was adorned with some of the costumes from the series, the two filmmakers greeted us warmly, eager to discuss their vision for the show.
“I felt the same way when I came here as I felt when I went to Israel with my dad when I was 16,” Erwin told us. “You feel the history, you feel the magic of it.” Gunn added how “Greece has a really wonderful film incentive and an energy about it.” Considering it is an emerging film community, he really loved being a part of it. In their search for the perfect location, they had scouted Morocco, Jordan, Italy, and even Israel before ultimately deciding Greece’s landscapes were the perfect setting. “We’re going much more for the mountains than the islands,” Gunn explained. “There’s a lot of stuff here that hasn’t really been photographed before, but it’s incredible that you can go to a mountain and find a city on top of it that’s been there for thousands of years.”
How ‘House of David’ Tackled Faith-Based Content for a Wider Audience

But there were some natural and legitimate concerns. While the reach of religion in the country can be massive, or minimal (depending on your perspective), many people do tend to avoid “faith-based” content for fear of being preached to. Whether you feel the series is particularly bad because of this is up to you, when you see it. But for the creators, the show needed to be for more than just that narrow audience.
“This isn’t a show just for religious people,” Erwin insisted. “We want to reach a broad audience. Yes, it’s about faith, but it’s also about power, family, and destiny.” Gunn added, “If you love Harry Potter, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, you’re going to love this. This is one of the original coming-of-age stories—a young man, chosen for something greater, struggling with self-doubt and facing insurmountable odds.”
What It Took to Bring ‘House of David’ to Life

Despite concerns about its faith-based nature, the creators aim to make the show appeal to a broad audience with themes of power, family, and destiny.

Following our discussion, production designer Chad Krowchuk took us on a tour of the sprawling set, and the level of detail was quite impressive to behold. Authentic brickwork, homes that looked lived-in centuries ago, and some really cool interior lighting to brighten up the throne room set with what looked like real sunlight — it was clear that a lot of work had gone into every aspect.
“I love the crew,” Gunn told us. “I do a lot of productions on location, and crews have a spirit about them—sometimes good, sometimes bad. The crews in Greece are just so service-oriented, and they’ve gelled into a family quickly. We have over 500 people working on the show, the majority of them Greek, and their passion for this project is incredible.”
’House of David’s Cast Don’t Want the Show To Be Pigeonholed As “Faith-Based”

The cast says the show isn’t just about religion, with characters facing personal and political struggles.

Then it was time to sit down with the cast, and the questions asked were dominated by faith, largely due to the presence of the Christian media on the visit. It was apparent that the cast was also aware of this, so their answers were initially quite guarded unless discussing their characters, but a universal theme of their responses was the insistence that the show wasn’t just about religion.
Our first conversation was with Oded Fehr, who plays Abner, Saul’s fiercely loyal general. “He’s all in for Saul, even as things start to unravel,” Fehr told us. “He knows God has chosen someone else, but his allegiance is to Israel first.” He also spoke about the show’s appeal to everybody: “God is a character in the story, but this is also a political and family drama. It’s about power, loyalty, and legacy. It’s not just for religious viewers.”
Next, we were graced by some royalty as we spoke to Ayelet Zurer (Daredevil, Angels & Demons), who plays Queen Ahinoam — and who will soon be seen once again in Daredevil: Born Again as Vanessa Fisk. She described her pretty thorough preparation for the role, which included listening to historical podcasts to try and gain more of a perspective on the character, since there wasn’t too much to go off.
“I found a podcast in Hebrew that focused on Saul’s journey, and it really opened my eyes,” she said. “Then I started looking into the historical context of witchcraft because my character turns to it when she loses control. It’s fascinating how different it was perceived back then.” She also described Ahinoam’s role in shaping the kingdom: “She’s from a small village, just like Saul. She knows that people need something to believe in, and she’s smart enough to understand how to guide them.”

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Ali Suliman (Jack Ryan, Arthur the King), who plays King Saul, described the role as both a gift and a challenge. “To put yourself in his shoes and bring him back to life—that’s the job of an actor,” he said. “He was a great man, but he became lost, surrounded by his demons.” Interestingly, Suliman initially declined the role but reconsidered after reading the script. “I knew nothing about the Bible,” he admitted. “But when I read it, I saw the potential—how it connects to today, how history repeats itself.”
Goliath Is the Star of the Show

Ford emphasized the depth of his character, focusing on heart and humanity, with special effects enhancing his towering presence.

Image via Prime Video

Martyn Ford was up next, quite literally taking us all by surprise as this utter behemoth entered the throne room, and this was one of the highlights of the trip. Ford was a genuine delight to speak with, a man truly grateful for the opportunity, humble and grounded, and also, the kind of man who deserves a shot at fighting Alan Ritchson in Reacher purely by virtue of his enormous size.
“This isn’t just some big guy who likes to fight,” he said. “He has a life, a mother, brothers—he’s got reasons for everything he does.” The production team has taken a hybrid approach to his size, as Goliath is… well, his name explains it, so how big is he actually going to be? “We’re aiming for about 14 feet,” Ford explained. “We’re using forced perspective, specialized lenses, and creative blocking. The goal is to make it feel real, not just CGI-heavy.”
Ford also reflected on the complexity of his character, because the Bible doesn’t exactly provide detailed notes on “supporting characters” within its pages: “They’ve created the character to actually be a person of heart and care, and very family-oriented,” he said. “Very much a misunderstood character through what you may know about in history… The outcast that he became drove him to the outcome that happened. For me, the most important part is to try and humanize him as much as possible and bring some element of sympathy but also understanding to the outcome.”
The Boy Who Would Be King

Michael Iskander shared his emotional journey to the role and his focus on portraying David’s connection with God.

Then it was time to meet David himself. Michael Iskander, fresh from a morning of rehearsals, sat down with us to discuss the months-long casting process that led to him landing the role. “We saw his face, heard his voice, and just knew,” Gunn had said earlier in the day. “It was electric.”
Even after his audition, Iskander had to endure multiple tests in Los Angeles and Greece before officially securing the role. When he finally got the call, he broke down in tears, saying, “I gotta call my mom.”
Speaking about his preparation for the role, Iskander — who was evidently quite nervous at times talking to a group of media, probing details of his life — explained, “I think David is a person who speaks to a lot of people. One of the interesting things about him is his heart. It’s very known that David is a man after God’s own heart, and so I wanted to find what that meant in a person who makes a lot of mistakes yet is so favored by God.”
David and Goliath’s Epic Battle Scene Was Filmed in Heated Conditions

The cast and crew showed immense dedication to the scene.

As the afternoon wore on, we left the studio and made our way to the Dust Bowl — the nickname given to a very hot and very dry quarry about a five-minute drive from the studios — where filming was underway for the climactic battle between David and Goliath. Countless actors on horseback in the blazing sun as they prepared for battle, charging at the camera before resetting their positions and going again. Yeah, it’s cool being an actor, but this didn’t look like fun work. After about 10 minutes in the heat, some of the media started to feel quite faint — yours truly included.
“This is one of the defining moments of the show. Getting it right is everything,” was heard spoken among creatives on the set in between takes. As the sun began to set, we returned to the studio for our final conversations and to wrap up. The cast and crew were visibly exhausted but still enthusiastic about what they were creating, and it was clear that Gunn and Erwin had a vision in mind for the world they wanted to bring to the screen. There can be no doubting the clear investment Prime Video and Wonder Project have put into the show, so it’s clear they’re all in. Now, they need to say their prayers and hope the audience answers them.
House of David premieres February 27 on Prime Video.

House of David

Release Date

February 27, 2025

Network

Prime Video

Cast

Alexander Uloom

King Achish