Biblical Dramas Rise: House of David and The Chosen Crack Amazon Prime's Top‑10

April 10, 2025 – Seattle

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Two faith‑based series, House of David and The Chosen, are among the most‑watched shows on Amazon Prime Video in the U.S., unfolding a surge of interest in religious storytelling.

House of David, a new eight‑episode biblical drama, debuted February 27, 2025, and quickly climbed the Prime charts. It finished its season finale in early April and ranks at No. 2 on Amazon’s U.S. top‑10 list, outpacing mainstream hits such as Fallout and The Summer I Turned Pretty. The Chosen, meanwhile, holds No. 7 following its recent streaming debut on Prime Video. Both titles have drawn millions of viewers and sparked discussion beyond traditional faith communities.

Created by Jon Erwin (with Jon Gunn), House of David dramatizes the early life of David from shepherd to king, including its climactic David‑and‑Goliath battle. Michael Iskander stars as David, alongside Ali Suliman, Stephen Lang, Ayelet Zurer, and Martyn Ford as Goliath. Filming took place primarily in Greece in 2024. The series attracted 22 million viewers within its first 17 days, prompting Amazon to renew it for a second season even before the finale aired.

Erwin and his team describe the project as a major leap for faith‑based content—a collaboration enabled by Amazon’s funding while maintaining creative control. They believe it presents biblical narrative in a format accessible to a mainstream audience.

The Chosen, created by Dallas Jenkins, chronicles the life of Jesus through the eyes of those around him. Its earlier seasons featured direct streaming via VidAngel, and it only arrived on Prime Video in February 2025. The show has amassed over 280 million viewers globally, with roughly a third identifying as non‑religious

Both series are being credited not just for entertainment value but for their potential impact on biblical literacy and evangelism. Pastor Greg Laurie, who served as a consultant on House of David, described the popularity as one of the “greatest evangelistic opportunities in recent history.”

However, some critics have noted tensions between creative storytelling and scriptural fidelity. Unique portrayals such as David’s internal conflict or invented family backstory have drawn scrutiny from theological commentators. While The Gospel Coalition praised House of David for balancing narrative depth with biblical accuracy, others pointed to fictionalized scenes, like Goliath throwing a javelin at David, which diverge from the biblical record.

Renaissance of religious entertainment is under way, with House of David riding that wave. Its creators began producing season 2 in early 2025, with shooting continuing in Greece during Easter week. While no premiere date is scheduled, industry analysts expect a mid‑2026 release. Wonder Project, the studio co‑founded by Erwin and Kelly Merryman Hoogstraten, is launching a dedicated faith‑focused channel on Amazon Prime this fall. That channel will debut with season 2 of House of David.

Season 1 is now streaming exclusively on Prime Video, available via standard and student‑discounted subscriptions.

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Sources

1. The Christian Post — “Biblical epics 'House of David,' 'The Chosen' among Amazon Prime's top 10 shows: 'All glory to God'” (2025‑04‑07)

2. Decider — “Will There Be A Season 2 of 'House of David'?” (2025‑04‑04)

3. Decider — “When Does ‘House of David’ Return With New Episodes?” (2025‑06‑17)

4. Reuters — “Amazon Prime Video to have Wonder Project's faith‑focused channel in US this fall” (2025‑06‑24)

5. Wikipedia — “House of David (TV series)” (updated July 2025)

6. The Gospel Coalition review via Reddit and Christian outlets (2025‑03)