Released by Angel Studios in the U.S. and Taiwan in 2025, the animated film King of Kings brings the life of Jesus to the screen through the innocence of a child’s eyes. Framed as a father’s bedtime story to his young son, the miracles of Christ unfold anew — acts of forgiveness, wonders of healing, and the supreme sacrifice of bearing humanity’s sins, followed by the glory of His resurrection on the third day.
This tender retelling has deep literary roots. The film draws inspiration from an unpublished manuscript by the great British author Charles Dickens, who wrote the story for his own children. For many years, Dickens read it aloud each Christmas, guarding it as a private family treasure. In his will, he decreed that the manuscript remain unpublished until after the passing of his last surviving child. Only in 1933, upon the death of Dickens’s youngest, was the work finally revealed.
Published the following year as The Life of Our Lord (1934), the manuscript quickly became beloved by readers around the world. In 1961, director Nicholas Ray adapted his spirit into the sweeping biblical epic King of Kings, bringing Christ’s story to the big screen for a new generation. Now, more than 60 years later, the narrative returns — retold in a fresh, animated form for Easter 2025 — inviting viewers to encounter the mystery of faith as if seeing it for the first time, through the unclouded eyes of a child.
Upon the storm: The trial of faith
Beneath a darkened sky, the Sea of Galilee glimmers, its waters restless and churning. In one of the film’s most moving sequences, the Gospel account of Jesus walking on water comes alive, not only through music and light, but through the wonder of a child’s listening heart.
Dickens’ words draw the boy — and us — into that fateful night. The disciples strain against their oars as the storm rages, while Jesus prays alone upon the mountain. Waves rise like wild beasts, lightning splits the heavens, and fear grips every soul aboard. Then, across the waters, a figure emerges through the mist, His voice steady, His call unmistakable: “Take heart. It is I. Be not afraid.”
Peter, stirred by awe and longing, dares to step from the boat. For one miraculous moment, the sea itself seems to yield beneath his faith. Yet doubt steals in like a shadow, and the waves surge to swallow him. Just as he begins to sink, a hand reaches through the storm — Jesus lifting him, His rebuke soft as the wind: “You doubted.”
This is more than a miracle. It is the drama of every soul’s journey — the battle between fear and trust, the trembling edge where human frailty meets Divine grace. Faith may falter, yet grace rescues. And when Christ steps into the boat, the tempest stills. The waters are calm, the moonlight returns, and a deeper quiet settles — not only upon the sea, but upon the hearts of His disciples, now filled with a peace beyond all fear.
History repeats, faith endures
The storms of faith have never ceased. From ancient Galilee to the present day, believers are tested in every generation. Throughout history, Christians and others have endured persecution, exile, and martyrdom for their beliefs, standing firm despite threats to life and liberty. In the 21st century, practitioners of Falun Dafa endure persecution and slander, yet continue their journey like sailors steering fragile boats through hostile seas — sustained by faith in the Divine.
Modern Christians, Jews, Buddhists, and others face their own trials, large and small, as they attempt to live according to the teachings of their spiritual tradition in a world that is increasingly secular and self-indulgent — making true faith and steadfastness all the more challenging.
It is in this context of enduring faith that stories like King of Kings take on renewed meaning, serving as a reflection on our own lives and as a profound lesson for how we live. The 1961 film portrayed Christ’s story with solemn grandeur, while the new animated retelling draws closer to the pure heart of a child. In this light, Jesus is no longer a distant miracle-worker, but a companion, a teacher, and a model of love that can be truly seen, felt, and embraced.
Seen through a child’s eyes, this ancient story becomes a living inheritance, speaking across generations and reaching into the heart of every age. It reveals that faith is not merely a record of miracles, but a guide for how we move through life — with intention, courage, and love.
Across time, the most extraordinary miracles endure: love that nurtures, compassion that uplifts, forgiveness that heals, and hope that carries us through darkness. These are not distant ideals, but choices we are invited to make in each moment, quiet yet powerful acts that shape the soul and illuminate the world around us. In this way, the story endures — not merely as memory, but as a living light, inspiring faith and guiding us to what is eternal and good.
Translated by Katy Liu and edited by Tatiana Denning
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