The King of Kings is a new animated film, which, according to its creators, is inspired by Charles Dickens' posthumously short story The Life of our Lord.

South Korean visual effects pioneer Seong-ho 'Jay' Jang scripted, produced and directed the film.

A story told by Charles Dickens

The King of Kings follows Charles Dickens and youngest son Walter, as the well known storyteller struggles to connect with his five-year-old son, and decides to share the story of Jesus Christ with him in order to build a bridge between them.

“From his humble beginnings to forming his band of faithful disciples, to performing miracles, Walter vividly sees and feels all that is happening in Christ’s time. As the story unfolds, Charles and Walter’s relationship begins to deepen” , says the official synopsis.

According to Jang, “for the past 2,000-plus years, the story of Jesus has been told and retold in countless ways across virtually every country on the planet. This is a deeply personal story to all of us on the production crew, and we know it resonates with so many around the world”.

“The added joy of this little-known iteration is that you see the story unfold not only from Charles Dickens’ perspective, but through his son Walter’s eyes, which ultimately provides young viewers with even greater access and understanding of who Jesus was and all that he represents”, underlined the director in a statement.

Renowned cast

The cast of The King of Kings is full of renowned actors and actresses, headed by Oscar Issac, famous for his appearances in the Marvel Universe, Dune and Star Wars, who plays Jesus, and Kenneth Branagh as Dickens.

Pierce Brosnan, known for roles such as James Bond, lends his voice to Pontius Pilate, while Mark Hamill, acclaimed for his role as Luke Skywalker, takes on the character of King Herod.

Furthermore, Uma Thurman voices star as Catherine Dickens, the wife of the author, while Roman Griffin Davis ( Jojo Rabbit‘s) is the couple’s youngest son, Walter.

Easter 2025

The film is expected to be released in cinemas on Easter weekend in 2025. Producers did not reveal an exact date, though the holiday falls on the April 18-20 next year.