When South African animation ‘David’ opened in North American cinemas on December 19, 2025, expectations were modest. Four weeks later, this feature film had grossed over $75 million, beaten a new SpongeBob movie, and rewritten what global audiences expect from African animation.
From Cape Town to Hollywood
Released on more than 3,000 screens across the US and Canada, David stormed into cinemas with a $22 million opening weekend. It finished second only to James Cameron’s ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash.’
For context, that debut outperformed ‘The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants’ and ‘The Housemaid.’ Angel Studios cheekily describes this feat as a real-life “David vs Goliath” moment. The film is directed by Zimbabwe-born South Africans Phil Cunningham and Brent Dawes and produced at Sunrise Animation Studios in Cape Town. 
‘David’ now holds multiple records, and the numbers are only part of the story.
- Angel Studios’ largest three-day opening ever
- Highest-grossing opening for a faith-based animated film in US history
- Strongest North American debut for a South African film since District 9 in 2009.
- ‘David’ currently ranks 35th among the highest-grossing films of 2025 in the US
- Sits comfortably in the top 10 animated releases
- Boasts a 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and top ratings on Critics
- The New York Times also praises its “surprisingly magnificent” detail, while Variety called it a technical showcase.
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A Reward for Excellence
This film had Grammy-nominated Phil Wickham voicing adult David and was scored by ‘The Greatest Showman’ composer Joseph Trapanese. The production of the film took 10 years to complete.
Over that period, 400 artists across 32 countries collaborated remotely and on-site at Sunrise’s Noordhoek studio. This success is proof that African-led productions can operate at full global scale.
Beyond box office bragging rights, this South-African animation ‘David’ feels like a turning point. It shows that African animation and movies are taking over. From getting featured at the Sundance Film Festival 2026 to nominations at the Oscars and the Golden Globes 2026, this is another significant leap.
With releases planned in 44 international markets by 2027, ‘David’ looks set to build on this momentum. Maybe this time, cut off ‘Goliath’s head.’
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