Angel Studios and 2521 Entertainment Acquire DAVID Franchise, Set December Theatrical Release
Angel Studios partnered with 2521 Entertainment to acquire the DAVID franchise from Slingshot USA, including an animated film and television series set for a December 19 release. The project, based on David’s biblical story, underscores Angel’s commitment to family-oriented, values-based entertainment.
PROVO, Utah – Angel Studios (NYSE: ANGX) announced Tuesday it has partnered with 2521 Entertainment to acquire the DAVID franchise from Slingshot USA, bringing one of the company’s most anticipated projects under its direct ownership ahead of a December 19 theatrical release.ANGEL AND 2521 ENTERTAINMENT ACQUIRE THE DAVID FRANCHISE FROM SLINGSHOT USA
The acquisition includes both an animated feature film and a five-part television series based on the biblical story of David, the shepherd boy who defeated Goliath and became king of Israel. The project was created by the same studio and director behind YOUNG DAVID, an animated series that achieved some of the highest approval ratings in Angel Guild history.
DAVID | “Follow The Light” | In Theaters This Christmas | Phil Wickham & Brandon Engman | Angel
Strategic Asset for Growing Platform
“DAVID is the largest audience-funded film in history,” said Neal Harmon, co-founder and CEO of Angel Studios. “Owning the DAVID intellectual property is a long-term strategic asset, and we anticipate making similar series acquisitions that resonate with the Angel Guild and have performed exceptionally well on our platform.”
The acquisition comes as Angel’s grassroots membership base—the Angel Guild—has grown beyond 1.5 million members across more than 180 countries. These paying members help decide which film and television projects the studio will market and distribute, creating what the company calls a values-based approach to entertainment.
Angel plans to explore producing additional episodes of the DAVID animated television series to extend the franchise, responding to strong demand for television content among Guild members.
A Story Three Decades in the Making
Director Phil Cunningham described the journey to bring DAVID to screens as a testament to faith and perseverance.
“A vision that began over 30 years ago has required immense sacrifice, faith, bravery, and commitment from many to bring it to completion, and we have arrived at this moment,” Cunningham said. “David dared to take off Saul’s armour and go to battle with just a slingshot. Angel has proven time and again that it is a leader and willing to take on the biggest challenges.”
The animated feature digs deeper into David’s life beyond his famous confrontation with Goliath, exploring his roles as warrior, poet, shepherd, and eventual king who led and inspired a nation.
Proven Partnership
Angel and 2521 Entertainment have collaborated on 14 projects to date, including notable releases such as SOUND OF FREEDOM, which earned $250 million at the worldwide box office, KING OF KINGS, THE WINGFEATHER SAGA, and THE LAST RODEO. The companies also have YOUNG WASHINGTON scheduled for upcoming release.
“At 2521 Entertainment our mission is to go beyond entertainment and offer families stories that elevate and leave a lasting impression in an otherwise distracted world,” said David L. Hunt, co-founder and chief creative officer of 2521 Entertainment. “DAVID is one of those rare movies that will build meaningful, lasting family memories and connections. And there are few things in life more valuable than that.”
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Founded in 2023, 2521 Entertainment has quickly established itself in faith-based and values-driven content, with credits including KING OF KINGS—the highest-grossing faith-based animated opening ever—and HOUSE OF DAVID, Amazon Prime’s top-ranked series.
Release Schedule Adjustment
As part of the acquisition and release strategy, Angel announced that ZERO A.D., previously scheduled for December 19, 2025, will now be released in 2026. This clears the holiday theatrical window for DAVID’s debut.
“At a time when the world is craving hope, David’s unyielding courage and faith remind us all to stand tall,” Harmon said. “I am profoundly grateful for the miracle of this moment.”
The December 19 release positions DAVID as a holiday season offering for families seeking values-based entertainment during the theatrical window traditionally dominated by major studio releases.
Hal Machina is a passionate writer, blogger, and self-proclaimed journalist who explores the intersection of science, tech, and futurism. Join him on a journey into innovative ideas and groundbreaking discoveries!
The Substitute Teacher Who Wanted Blueprints of Our House
A fifth-grade assignment took a strange turn when a substitute teacher asked students to draw schematics of their homes. What followed — a wildly fictional floor plan and a priceless reaction from my mom — turned into one of my funniest childhood memories.
The Substitute Teacher Who Wanted Blueprints of Our House
Elementary school memories tend to blend together — cafeteria pizza, playground arguments, the eternal struggle of times tables — but every once in a while, something happens that sticks with you for life. For me, that moment came in the fifth grade during a week when our regular teacher was out, and we cycled through substitute teachers like we were testing models for durability. By midweek, in walked a substitute with a mysterious, slightly intense energy — the kind of vibe that suggested he either meditated at dawn or worked a graveyard shift doing something he couldn’t talk about. We settled into our seats, expecting worksheets or quiet reading time. But nope. He had other plans. “Today,” he announced, “we’re going to draw schematics of our houses.” Schematics. Not drawings. Not little houses with smoke coming out of the chimney. Actual blueprint-style schematics. He wanted the layout of our bedrooms, our parents’ rooms, and where the pets slept. Every detail. Now, to be fair, Highlights Magazine did have a feature that month teaching kids how to draw floor plans. So maybe he was just a bit overenthusiastic about cross-curricular learning. Or maybe — and this is my completely rhetorical adult theory — he worked the graveyard shift as a cat burglar gathering intel between heists. Just moonlighting between blueprints. While the rest of the class tried their best to recreate their actual homes, my imagination sprinted in a totally different direction. The house I drew had:
A massive master bedroom with an oversized bathroom for my parents
Separate bedrooms for us kids on the opposite side of the house
A kitchen placed right in the center like a command center
And the dog — the true VIP — had a luxurious two-story doghouse
I had basically created a dream home designed by a 10-year-old watching too much Fantasy Homes by the Yard. Later that day, my mom asked the usual question: “So, what did you guys do today?” “We drew schematics of our house,” I said casually. The look on her face was instant and intense. She wasn’t panicked, but there was definitely a “Why does a substitute teacher need to know the exact layout of my home?” expression happening. Parental instincts activated. But then I showed her my diagram. She stared at it. Blinked. Then sighed with massive relief. “This isn’t our house,” she said. “Nope! I made it up,” I replied proudly. Her shoulders relaxed so much she probably lost five pounds of tension in one instant. If the substitute was secretly planning a heist, my masterpiece of misinformation would have sent him to the wrong house entirely. Looking back, the whole moment feels like a sitcom setup — a mysterious substitute collecting “house schematics,” me creating a completely fictional piece of architecture, and my mom going on a full emotional journey in under 30 seconds. Maybe he was just excited about the Highlights Magazine floor-plan activity. Or maybe — just maybe — he moonlighted in cat burglary. We’ll never know. But if he was, I like to think I threw him completely off the scent.
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How China cleaned up its air pollution – and what that meant for the climate
How China cleaned up its air pollution: Beijing’s air quality went from hazardous to good while Delhi and Lahore still struggle. Discover how China dramatically reduced pollution since 2013—and why cleaner air may have unintended consequences for global warming and climate change.
Delhi: 442. Lahore: 334. Beijing: 16. These are the levels of PM 2.5, one of the principle measures for air pollution, on November 19. As Pakistanis and Indians struggle with hazardous air quality, in Beijing – a city once notorious for its smog – the air quality is currently rated as good. Ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the Chinese government was so concerned about pollution that it introduced temporary restrictions on cars, shut down factories and stopped work on some construction sites. The measures worked and one study later found that levels of air pollution were down 30% during the period when the temporary Olympic restrictions were in place. It would take a few more years before the Chinese government implemented a clean air action plan in 2013. Since then, China has achieved a dramatic improvement in its air quality. In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, we speak to Laura Wilcox, a professor at the National Centre for Atmospheric Science at the University of Reading in the UK, to understand how China managed to clean up its air pollution. But Wilcox’s recent research uncovered some unintended consequences from this cleaner air for the global climate: the pollution was actually helping to cool the atmosphere and by taking it away, it may have accelerated global warming. Wilcox explains:
What we’re seeing is a removing of cooling that’s revealing warming that’s already there. So the air pollution isn’t the cause of the warming. It’s just letting us see stuff that we’ve already done.
Dive into “The Knowledge,” where curiosity meets clarity. This playlist, in collaboration with STMDailyNews.com, is designed for viewers who value historical accuracy and insightful learning. Our short videos, ranging from 30 seconds to a minute and a half, make complex subjects easy to grasp in no time. Covering everything from historical events to contemporary processes and entertainment, “The Knowledge” bridges the past with the present. In a world where information is abundant yet often misused, our series aims to guide you through the noise, preserving vital knowledge and truths that shape our lives today. Perfect for curious minds eager to discover the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of everything around us. Subscribe and join in as we explore the facts that matter. https://stmdailynews.com/the-knowledge/
What makes a true Santa is inside – and comes with the red suit
Research on 849 professional Santas reveals three types: prototypical, semi-prototypical, and nonprototypical. Discover how diverse Santas navigate stereotypes and why many see the red suit as a calling, not just a job.
Members of the Fraternal Order of Real Bearded Santas meet at Pink’s restaurant at Knott’s Berry Farm before the holiday rush in 2009. Business Wire via AP
What makes a true Santa is inside – and comes with the red suit
Christina Hymer, University of Tennessee When you picture Santa Claus, a white, bearded, overweight and jolly man who dashes around delivering gifts to children during the Christmas season probably comes to mind. Yet, not everyone who dons the red suit fits this stereotype. That’s what Bethany Cockburn, Borbala Csillag and I learned when we teamed up to study professional Santas. For our study, we looked into how these professional Santas were able to “be” Santa, even if they didn’t fully fit the image. As we explained in a forthcoming article in the Academy of Management Journal, many who do this work don’t see it as just a job – it’s a calling. For some professional Santas, it’s especially important that they look and feel like Santa to experience that sense of purpose in their work. We surveyed 849 professional Santas who live across the U.S. and interviewed 53 of them, collecting data between 2018 and 2021. We identified three types of professional Santas: prototypical (64%), semi-prototypical (23%) and nonprototypical (13%). Prototypical Santas look the part. They are white and overweight, have real beards and express confidence that they are the right fit. Semi-prototypical Santas looked the part, too, but felt like they weren’t quite suitable for a range of reasons. They might be introverted or use a fake beard. Nonprototypical Santas had characteristics at odds with the stereotype. They might be nonwhite, female or gay, or have a physical disability.Many Santas see their work, whether paid or volunteer, as a calling.Photo by Gwyn Sussman Whereas prototypical Santas could easily slide into the Santa role, the process was more complex for the others. Semi-prototypical Santas did things like come up with stories they’d tell themselves or share with children to explain away their fake beards. Nonprototypical Santas had values aligned with the Santa image, such as being peaceful, loving and kind. But they still made a big effort to look like what people expect when they visit a Santa. “Should it be a difference if you’re a Jewish Santa Claus or a Catholic Santa Claus?” asked an atheist professional Santa we called “Santa Aquila.” “No. You’re Santa Claus. What do you do? You’re not even supposed to preach anything.” Another Santa whom we called “Santa Lynx” hid that she was female in part by flattening her chest.
Why it matters
While anyone can take a turn being their neighborhood potluck’s Santa, the one you meet at the mall probably attended some combination of Santa schools, webinars and training. For instance, the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School was founded in 1937 and conducts an annual Santa training each year. National networks also exist, such as the Fraternal Order of Real Bearded Santas, which says it has 1,000 members, – and the IBRBS, formerly known as the International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas, offering meetups and professional support.Actor B.J. Averell, dressed as Santa Claus, attends a toy drive for struggling Bay Area families in Burlingame, Calif., in December 2024.Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images There are also local organizations, such as the Lone Star Santas network in Texas. Although most professional Santas are paid for their work, many do this voluntarily. It’s not uncommon for there to be some sort of expectation around who should have a particular occupation. Pilots tend to be male, most schoolteachers are female, and salespeople are often seen as extroverted. But that doesn’t mean that women can’t be pilots, men can’t be teachers or that introverts can’t work in sales.
What’s next
I’m now looking at how broader institutional environments, current events and social movements can shape how people experience their callings and find meaning at work. The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.Christina Hymer, Assistant Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship, University of Tennessee This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Dive into “The Knowledge,” where curiosity meets clarity. This playlist, in collaboration with STMDailyNews.com, is designed for viewers who value historical accuracy and insightful learning. Our short videos, ranging from 30 seconds to a minute and a half, make complex subjects easy to grasp in no time. Covering everything from historical events to contemporary processes and entertainment, “The Knowledge” bridges the past with the present. In a world where information is abundant yet often misused, our series aims to guide you through the noise, preserving vital knowledge and truths that shape our lives today. Perfect for curious minds eager to discover the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of everything around us. Subscribe and join in as we explore the facts that matter. https://stmdailynews.com/the-knowledge/
Later that day, my mom asked the usual question: “So, what did you guys do today?” “We drew schematics of our house,” I said casually. The look on her face was instant and intense. She wasn’t panicked, but there was definitely a “Why does a substitute teacher need to know the exact layout of my home?” expression happening. Parental instincts activated. But then I showed her my diagram. She stared at it. Blinked. Then sighed with massive relief. “This isn’t our house,” she said. “Nope! I made it up,” I replied proudly. Her shoulders relaxed so much she probably lost five pounds of tension in one instant. If the substitute was secretly planning a heist, my masterpiece of misinformation would have sent him to the wrong house entirely. Looking back, the whole moment feels like a sitcom setup — a mysterious substitute collecting “house schematics,” me creating a completely fictional piece of architecture, and my mom going on a full emotional journey in under 30 seconds. Maybe he was just excited about the Highlights Magazine floor-plan activity. Or maybe — just maybe — he moonlighted in cat burglary. We’ll never know. But if he was, I like to think I threw him completely off the scent.
Gemma Ware, Host, The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The Conversation This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
