The second season of the new hit series "House of David" will be released globally on Prime Video on March 27.
The new season picks up where the last one left off — the battle against the Philistines after David kills Goliath. After this triumph, viewers see David rise from shepherd boy to commander in King Saul's army.
"It's epic and it's thrilling and it's violent and adventurous and filled with romance and politics and everything you can imagine," Michael Iskander, the actor who portrays David, told EWTN News in an interview.
Producer, writer, and director of the series Jon Gunn told EWTN News that the creators of the show felt "a great responsibility" to deliver another great season of the show after the overwhelming response Season 1 received with over 50 million people watching the show.
"The beautiful thing is Season 1 is really just the beginning — David slaying Goliath; no one thinks about what happens the moments after that. He's on a battlefield with 250,000 to 300,000 people crashing into each other and he's not a warrior," he said. "We talk a lot about the show being about the cost of destiny. And so he slays the giant, he's now a hero, but that's just really the beginning of his journey."
A major theme seen in the second season is the friendship between David and Jonathan — King Saul's eldest son.
"This brother bond that he makes with Jonathan, which is this wonderful friendship — and such a complicated one because Jonathan knows he's teaching and training the very man who's going to replace him — and yet, does it because he believes it's God's will. It's a beautiful friendship and a beautiful arc for Jonathan," Gunn shared.
Iskander called the relationship between David and Jonathan "one of the few and greatest examples of friendships in the Bible."
The actor also highlighted the importance of David's love for King Saul.
"David, regardless of who Saul had become, never let go of that love for Saul," Iskander said. "And, obviously, remembering that God chose Saul just like he chose him so because of that he could never raise his hand against the king."
He added: "It's a good reminder for us today [because] God looks at all of us in the same way. He loves us all and wants us all to be with him. And so as Christians we're called to love our enemies… In the same way that David loved Saul, we're called to love each other today."
Iskander shared that portraying Israel's famous king has deeply impacted him, and he has come to see David as a guide for us all.
"David, I think, is one of the best biblical examples of someone who was chosen by God and yet fell so hard to a point where I think nobody would imagine that God would have any forgiveness for this man," he said. "And yet, David's repentant heart and his love for God shows us that there is no limit to God's mercy. There's no limit to his grace. So he's a guide for us when we fall and stumble."
He added: "He is that proof for us and a reminder to us to seek forgiveness, to seek reconciliation with Christ, and that through him we know how far God can reach. We know how far he's able to transform somebody and bring them back home."
Iskander pointed out that through his portrayal of David, he has come to realize that "all of these people in the Bible, all of these saints that we read about, they were all people, just like us. And that it's really about submitting to God and to be humble."
"In every aspect of our life — whether it's through our friendships, in our families — we're called to be humble and we're called to show love and to show Christ to everyone and I think in that way, David has really been transforming my life."
For Gunn, being a part of this show and seeing "how much it's moved audiences [and] how many people tell me that they're reading the Bible more" has had a deep impact.
Iskander shared that he has both believers and nonbelievers reach out to him often to tell him how the show has impacted them and has inspired them to "want to grow closer to God as David is."
With this in mind, he shared a message for viewers: "To those who already know Christ, purify your hearts for the Lord. And to those who don't know Christ, he is calling you. And he has an amazing plan for you and he's got treasure that is waiting for you to open it."
