Amazon MGM Studios has partnered with The Wonder Project to produce faith-based films and series, Variety has learned. Under the deal, Amazon has ordered the series “House of David” for Prime Video.
The Wonder Project was recently launched by veteran producer Jon Erwin and entertainment executive Kelly Merryman Hoogstraten. Dallas Jenkins, the creator and producer-director of the hit Biblical series “The Chosen,” is a large shareholder and special advisor to the company.
“When we met with Jon, Kelly, and Dallas, their clear and passionate vision for The Wonder Project and their ambition to nurture universal stories of love, triumph, and spirituality moved us.” said Vernon Sanders, head of television for Amazon MGM Studios. “We are very excited about the scope, scale and storytelling involved with ‘House of David’ and look forward to sharing this epic and many others with our global Prime Video customers.”
“House of David” tells the story of David, the Biblical figure who would eventually rise to become king of the Israelites. Per the official description, the show “follows the once-mighty King Saul as he falls victim to his own pride. A prophet prepares to overthrow him — anointing the outcast shepherd boy David as a second king. As Saul’s fury grows, David navigates love, violence and politics in the court of the very man he’s destined to replace. Two kings. One Kingdom. The outcome is war.”
“Our goal at The Wonder Project is to tell stories that restore faith in things worth believing in, and to do this at scale,” Kelly Merryman Hoogstraten said. “We’ve been blown away by Amazon’s commitment to help us do this — both through the significant resources they are dedicating and their trust in us to tell these stories authentically to our audience.”
“With House of David being the first project under this new deal, we’re setting the stage for a series of compelling, values-driven movies, and TV shows,” said Jon Erwin of The WONDER Project. “This is a milestone for The WONDER Project, and we’re thrilled to be working with a company that understands and supports our mission and our audience in such a groundbreaking way.”
“House of David” is based on an idea by Erwin, who serves as an executive producer along with Chad Oakes, Mike Frislev, and Jonathan Walker. Justin Rosenblatt will serve as the executive in charge of production on behalf of The Wonder Project. In association with The Wonder Project and Amazon MGM Studios, the series is produced by Nomadic Pictures and Argonauts, along with Kingdom Story Company and Lionsgate Television.