South African Animated Feature “David” Achieves Remarkable North American Box Office Success

A South African animated feature film has achieved unprecedented success in the North American theatrical market, signaling a potential shift in the global animation industry’s geographic center. David, which premiered on December 19, 2025, opened on more than 3,000 cinema screens across the United States and Canada, ultimately grossing over $75 million domestically within its first four weeks of release.

This performance represents a significant milestone not only for South African cinema but for the broader African film industry, which has historically struggled to secure wide theatrical distribution in major international markets.

The film was directed by Phil Cunningham and Brent Dawes, filmmakers originally from Zimbabwe but are now based in Cape Town, South Africa. Their work on David demonstrates the growing concentration of animation talent and infrastructure in South Africa, particularly in the Cape Town region, which has emerged as a hub for digital content creation on the African continent.

Sunrise Productions served as the production company, with animation work primarily conducted at their Noordhoek facility in Cape Town. The project employed a contemporary production model, incorporating remote collaboration from artists and crew members across 32 countries. This distributed approach reflects both the globalized nature of modern animation production and the increasing accessibility of digital tools that enable international cooperation.

The December 19, 2025, release date positioned David in an extremely competitive theatrical environment. The film opened simultaneously with several major studio releases, including Avatar: Fire and Ash (the highly anticipated sequel from Disney and 20th Century Studios), The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants (Paramount’s latest installment in the popular franchise), and The Housemaid (a dramatic thriller).

Despite this formidable competition, David secured $22 million in U.S. box office revenue during its opening three-day weekend, claiming the second position at the domestic box office behind only Avatar: Fire and Ash. Angel Studios, an independent distribution company, handled the film’s North American release. According to the company’s press materials, David’s opening weekend represented several notable achievements: it had the largest three-day opening in Angel Studios’ corporate history, the highest-grossing opening weekend for a faith-based animated film in the United States, and the strongest North American theatrical opening for a South African production since District 9 in 2009.

While David’s success represents a significant achievement, it’s important to contextualize this within the broader landscape of African cinema and animation. Most African film productions struggle to secure international distribution, with the vast majority circulating only within regional markets or through streaming platforms. Theatrical distribution in North America typically requires substantial marketing expenditures, established distribution partnerships, and content that resonates with local audiences—barriers that have historically limited African cinema’s international reach.

South Africa possesses advantages relative to other African nations, including more developed film infrastructure, established relationships with international production companies (many use South African facilities for location shooting and post-production), and English-language production capabilities that facilitate North American distribution.

Yet, the performance of David is a form of inspiration to other African filmmakers. It may, in the near future, influence investment decisions, distribution strategies, and production planning for African animated content. If the film sustains strong performance during its international rollout—scheduled for release in 44 markets by January 1, 2027—it could demonstrate a viable pathway for African productions to access global theatrical markets.