Phil Wickham has released 14 Christian worship albums, been certified platinum and been nominated for American Music Awards, Dove Awards, Billboard Music Awards and Grammys, but all his vocal training and performances couldn't prepare him to step into the shoes of one of his biblical heroes in the upcoming animated musical film David.
David, directed by Phil Cunningham and Brent Dawes, will be Angel Studios' second animated feature this year. April's “King of Kings” grossed $60 million and became the studio's second-highest-grossing film behind “Sound of Freedom,” which earned $184 million. The film hits theaters Friday. If the release date sounds familiar, it may be because the third installment in the multi-billion dollar Avatar franchise, Avatar: Fire and Ash, is releasing on the same day. “David” has a pre-sale total of $15 million on 3,100 screens, but with “Avatar.” tracking $135 million to $165 million openingand “The SpongeBob Movie: Searching for SquarePants” also tracking from 13 to 20 million US dollarsit would seem like a veritable David versus the Goliath of ticket sales.
That in itself could have been daunting, but for Wickham, the biggest hurdles came long before release dates were set. Despite performing in arenas with thousands of fans, he had a “secret dream” of voicing a character in an animated film. A character “who carried courage and faith and lived through some grand adventure.” But because he never pursued that dream, he really limited that specific goal. Even when such an opportunity arose, he did not dare to go to the casting.
“I'm not touchy. [I said to producers]if I suck then just tell me because I don't want to waste anyone's time. And also, I don’t want to make a bad movie, just like you don’t want to make a bad movie,” says Wickham.
A contemporary Christian artist who recently completed sold-out concerts in Downey's Calvary Chapel and Wiltern never tried his hand at voice acting. Not only did he get the role, but he also helped bring to life (animated) one of the most famous stories in the Bible. The tale of David—the boy who was anointed to be king and along the way slayed the giant Philistine warrior Goliath with a stone and a slingshot—has become synonymous with the most famous of underdog concepts and tests of faith in the Bible. The character and story are also among Wickham's favorites.
Phil Wickham has always wanted to voice an animated character, especially after watching The Lion King.
(Colton Dall)
“When it came across my desk, so to speak, I thought, man, I could tell you this story, but I didn't know if I had it in me. I didn't know if I was a good actor. I didn't know if I could voice the character, but I knew I wanted to play it,” Wickham said.
A curious discovery for Wickham was the discovery that the singing he had done most of his life would not work on screen, at least not in this project. He was asked to soften the tones, sometimes “speak out” the lyrics, and generally make the music more dramatic for the screen.
“I was like, OK, I get it. That's why they hired me, because I'm a singer. But that was the hardest part because they didn't want me to sound like me,” Wickham said.
“Singing became the backdrop to just being the character, which was honestly the hardest thing in some ways. Maybe even for my ego as an artist.”
It was definitely a process that required careful customization and consideration of David as more than just the king and hero that Wickham grew up reading about in the homes and churches of Southern California. Sitting on a pew in Downey, the singer reflected on why he became interested in music and why Christian entertainment is on the rise.
“I realized very quickly that I loved being a part of moments where people encountered the same hope and faith that I encountered alone in my room,” Wickham said of songwriting and performing. He grew up surrounded by Christianity, but has seen a surge in the popularity of music and films centered around religious fandom.
“For this movie 'David' to come out at this time… I think the world is looking for something to hope for. I think people are just looking and learning more and more of the truth that if we look around us at the world of people, we won't find real solutions. So maybe if we look up, we will.”
