Filmed on location in Greece over five months, Prime Video’s new TV show, House of David, takes us back 3,000 years to tell the story of the biblical figure David (Michael Iskander), who not only defeats a giant named Goliath (Martyn Ford), but rises up to become the famed king of Israel.  

Final Draft sat down with the show’s co-creator, director and writer Jon Erwin to find out more about this faith-adjacent series that’s hoping to become a hit streaming saga the whole family can watch.  

The Bible as IP

When you think about stories from the Bible, there’s one thing they all have in common: mind-blowing drama. Adam and Eve, Noah’s flood and the story of the crucifixion are all about as violent, emotional and theatrical as stories can get. The story of David and Goliath is no different. 

“I remember some executives read the first three scripts [of House of David] and they’re like, ‘Man, these scripts are really good!’ And I’m like, ‘It’s based off a bestseller, you know,” says Erwin with a laugh, adding, “It’s sold five billion copies and there’s a reason that these stories endure.”

Michael Iskander in 'House of David'

The Hero’s Journey

Everyone loves an underdog story. Whether it’s a courtroom battle or a kid going up against a playground bully, if the little guy has enough determination and heart, he too can slay a giant. Stories like David and Goliath give people hope. 

“I really consider David to be one of the original ‘origin stories,’ if that makes sense,” says Erwin, who says he’s a massive fan of Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces. “I’m just a sucker for those kinds of stories. Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings – they all tap into this timeless structure. And I think David fits right in. He’s this boy, this outcast, chosen to be a king in a nation that already had one. He slays a giant. He really is one of the earliest versions of the hero’s journey.” 

When we meet David in the pilot, he’s a lowly shepherd searching for a purpose, constantly butting heads with his father, struggling to fit in and using music as an escape. In other words, he’s your typical teenager. But is that enough to make him relatable to today’s iPhone addicted kids? Erwin thinks so. 

“While working on House of David, I kept thinking about what Joseph Campbell pointed out—why is this journey so pervasive across different cultures? It feels like it’s written into our souls. I think it’s because we all long for purpose. We all want to play some meaningful role in a story bigger than ourselves. That’s why characters like Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter, and David resonate so deeply. We all want to live our own version of the hero’s journey,” says Erwin. 

Giving David Flaws

In the pilot, we learn that David is illegitimate and his mother has died, which only adds to his inner turmoil. These emotional aspects help to set David on his path to greatness, even if this version of the great warrior may seem surprising at first. 

“I love what Ken Burns calls ‘emotional archaeology.’ I’ve spent a lot of my career adapting true stories – whether it’s Kurt and Brenda Warner in American Underdog, or other real-life figures. Normally, I can go talk to the people involved. But with David, you’re telling a story that’s thousands of years old, and the Bible only covers his early years in about three chapters.” 

While it’s easy for David’s famous battle with a giant to overshadow his life, Erwin points out that he considers David to be the main poet of the Bible considering that at least 75 Psalms are attributed to him. 

“I think that’s why his words have endured. About 85% of the Psalms are not, ‘Thank God, everything’s great!’ Most of them are, ‘My heart is breaking. My friends have betrayed me. I don’t know what to do. I’m confronting my own failure.’ Those are the emotions we all feel.” 

Erwin notes that Bono, singer of the Irish rock band U2, talks about the power of David’s Psalms, even recording and performing them to rock music. 

“David wrote with an honesty that’s mind-blowing, especially considering he was a king. History is usually written by the victor, so he didn’t have to be so vulnerable [in his writing]. But he was,” says Erwin. 

A rock star King David? Not quite, but he’s certainly a character with depth who feels passionate about expressing himself. 

“That’s what makes him fascinating. Hemingway once said, ‘Writing is bleeding onto the page,’ and I think David did that in the form of the Psalms. His poetry wasn’t just praise, it was raw. He wrote about heartbreak, betrayal, depression, and failure. He was authentic. That’s why he’s so relatable.” 

Martyn Ford in 'House of David'

Internal and External Battles

Erwin brings up a line of dialogue that the prophet Samuel (Stephen Lang) says to David in the show: “You’ll fight many battles, but your greatest war will be with yourself.”

“It sums him up. David lived in extremes – his passion led to incredible victories but also devastating failures. Which is everything you want as a storyteller. I also find him to be one of the most relatable characters in the Bible,” he adds. 

While David will face a literal giant on the battlefield, it’s his internal battles that adds fuel to the dramatic fire. 

“You want a character where all these opposing forces are just raging underneath the hood. Writing is always about exploring the character but exploring yourself, really. So whenever I’m doing a movie or a show, it’s about asking some profound questions and me trying to answer them on the page as best as I can.”

House of Saul 

In the show, King Saul (Ali Suliman), and his family are the main antagonists, but they are presented as a typical family, dealing with family issues beyond Saul’s thirst for power. 

“I wanted to try to really humanize every house in the story, whether it was the House of David or the House of Saul, even the House of Goliath, to at least try to understand these characters’ motivations and where they came from,” he says.  

Erwin doesn’t see Saul as a one-dimensional bad guy, but looks at him through the lens of tragedy. 

“He’s not just some villain. To me, and it’s a very applicable theme, he’s a person that could not let go of power. And you know, so often power does corrupt. In the Bible, he’s this wonderful father for a time and yet he can’t give up the throne, which makes for great drama, but also makes for a very interesting character.” 

Erwin refers to Aaron Sorkin’s view on building story from intention and obstacle, instead of heroes and villains. 

“The intention of this boy that’s anointed king does meet with this obstacle, that this king doesn’t want to give up his throne,” Erwin says before pausing a moment, then adding, “Yeah, George Washington was an interesting guy that was like, ‘Yeah, I’m going to give up power!’ But that doesn’t normally happen, and certainly not 3000 years ago. And so I think it’s that sort of drama that drives the series, but I did not want to portray Saul or his family as just the villains of the series. You really get to know them. You hurt for them, and in many ways, you empathize with them.” 

One thing Jon Erwin certainly gets right with House of David is that the human drive for power, the bonds of family and the exploration of faith have all changed little over the past three millennia. If audiences respond positively to the show, look for more Bible-based content coming to a streamer near you. 


House of David is now streaming on Prime Video.