The Biblical drama House of David has been a triumphant success with viewers of all ages on Prime Video and streamer Wonder Project. The new three-part companion series, The Old Stories: Moses, a Wonder Project original, highlights the story of Moses and his ordeal of freeing the Israelites from Egypt.
Telling the tale
Actors from House of David (just renewed for a third season) are present in The Old Stories: Moses, as David’s father tells a group of gathered listeners the tale of the man who obeyed God’s wishes to free his people. This ancient story mesmerizes them all -- young and old -- as David sits beside them hearing about Moses and his interaction with God, his courage, and his leadership.
Little does he know, he will also become a leader of his people. There is, however, a part of him that understands his future will be linked to this miraculous story.
Each of the three episodes of The Old Stories: Moses highlights different parts of the story of Moses, from the burning bush to the parting of the Red Sea. They're called "The Calling," "The Confrontation," and "The Deliverance."
Visuals
The series is visually stunning. Its special effects blend seamlessly into the drama, which utilizes the same generative-AI technology creator Jon Erwin uses on House of David and in the new film Young Washington).
The series was conceived and shot in near-record time, especially for an historical drama.
From the Los Angeles Times:
In 1926, director Cecil B. DeMille hired hundreds of workers to build a set of Jerusalem inside the DeMille Studios in Culver City for the classic silent film “The King of Kings.”
A century later, Jon Erwin filmed his biblical epic ‘The Old Stories: Moses,’ starring Ben Kingsley, on the same studio lot now owned by Amazon MGM Studios.
Except now, much of the architecture, desert location, and supernatural parts of the three-episode miniseries were generated through artificial intelligence.
A production that traditionally would have taken months to shoot and require multiple locations was filmed entirely in one week with a crew of just 100 people — who never left Los Angeles.
And how did he do it? From the same story:
Through “Moses,” Erwin is championing what he calls “hybrid” filmmaking: a workflow that marries live-action with AI-enhanced workflows in virtual production. The process combines what used to be separate phases — filming with actors and visual effects — to occur almost simultaneously.
Scenes shot on set [are] made available to multiple editors and AI artists within minutes on the production floor, as they show near-finished sequences back to the cast and director.
“You can create assets in three or four days, not 10 weeks. And that means you can actually kind of generate the environment while you’re shooting,” he said.
Sir Ben Kingsley, Then and Now
An interesting fact is that Kingsley, who also portrayed Moses in the 1995 miniseries Moses, was 82 years old when he took this new role, which was just about the same age Moses was when he encountered the burning bush.
You can watch the whole 1995 production here:
Uniting Biblical Heroes
By telling the story of Moses to David and his family and friends, the series merges the two Biblical heroes in a unique fashion. Separated by hundreds of years, their fates are united by God.
Moses’ life shaped the land of Israel by leading the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt to their homeland. And David was later entrusted with leading the people through even more difficult and challenging times.
Another Biblical hero, Joshua, is also part of the story. As one of the children being led through the desert, he believes in Moses and stands by him. But, as his story of taking the mantle to lead the Israelites plays out in the future, it's not in this series.
How to Watch The Old Stories: Moses
Each of the three episodes run between 18 to 20 minutes long. It is a good idea to binge them together as a family to experience this Biblical chapter in an hour. Through the episodes, the story of Moses unfolds in an informative and engaging way.
You don't need to subscribe to Prime Video to be a Wonder Project subscriber, but you do need to create an Amazon account to pay for it.
Image: Wonder Project
Francine Brokaw is a longtime journalist whose articles have been published in national and international publications. She is accredited by the MPAA and is a long-standing member of the Television Critics Association.
Netflix's 'Little House on the Prairie': The Ingalls Clan Begins Anew
Faith & Family News: 'Passion of the Christ' Returns; More 'Washington'
Before 250: The Best Films Set In Colonial America
'Toy Story 5': Heartfelt, Funny — and Too Optimistic about Technology
Keep up with Family Theater Productions our website, Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.