Zero A.D. Movie: PG-13 Kids Guide and Bible Facts

Zero A.D.: The Birth of Christ opens in US theaters on December 11, 2026, and it is rated PG-13 for strong violent content, bloody images and thematic elements. That makes it a poor fit for young children, even though the story is the Nativity. The film is built around Herod's order to kill Bethlehem's boys, and it plays closer to a historical thriller than to a manger scene.

This guide answers the two questions parents and church groups ask first: is it suitable for your kids, and how close is it to what the Bible actually says? We read Angel's film page, the Wikipedia entry, the Parent Previews listing and Matthew chapter 2 on November 3, 2026. We have not seen the finished film, so this is a preview and not a review.

Quick facts

• Opens: Friday, December 11, 2026, in US theaters (Angel's film page). Wikipedia notes it was first dated for December 2025, then moved twice.
• Rating: PG-13 for strong violent content, bloody images and thematic elements.
• Runtime: 1 hour 55 minutes (115 minutes), per Angel's film page and Parent Previews.
• Director: Alejandro Gómez Monteverde, who also directed Sound of Freedom.
• Studio: Angel Studios. Angel lists an audience "Guild score" of 76, which is the studio's own measure and not a critic score.
• Streaming: nothing announced. Angel's page says it is not yet available to stream in your region.

Is Zero A.D. okay for kids?

PG-13 is the MPA's "parents strongly cautioned" category: some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. Here the stated reasons are unusually specific. "Strong violent content" and "bloody images" are not boilerplate for a film whose central event is a massacre of children, even if the camera cuts away from the worst of it. We do not have scene-by-scene detail yet, so treat this as a guide to the tone, not a count of incidents.

• Under 8: skip it. The Nativity setting will draw them in, but the subject is a threat to a baby and the killing of other children. For this age, watch The Nativity Story or the animated The Star at home.
• Ages 8 to 12: a judgment call. Sensitive children can be shaken by a story where babies are in danger. Parents who want to go should watch the official trailer first and read a detailed parent guide once one is published.
• Teens and adults: the natural audience. Teenagers who handled The Passion of the Christ or The Young Messiah will know what to expect, and the subject gives plenty to talk about afterward.

Video: Zero A.D.: The Birth Of Christ | Official Trailer | In Theaters Dec 11 | Jim Caviezel | Angel by Angel (YouTube)

What does the Bible actually say about this story?

The film's setting comes from Matthew 2. Here is what the chapter covers, and what it leaves out:

• The Magi and Herod (verses 1 to 12). Wise men from the east arrive in Jerusalem asking where the "king of the Jews" has been born. Herod is disturbed, asks the priests where the Messiah would be born, and tells the Magi to report back. They find Jesus in Bethlehem and are warned in a dream not to return to Herod.
• The flight to Egypt (verses 13 to 15). An angel tells Joseph in a dream to take Mary and the child to Egypt. Matthew gives no travel details, so any chase or escape sequence in the film is the filmmakers' invention.
• The killing of the boys (verses 16 to 18). Herod orders all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under to be killed, "in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi." Matthew gives no number and no names for the victims.
• The return (verses 19 to 23). After Herod dies, the family returns and settles in Nazareth.

The shepherds and the manger belong to Luke 2, not Matthew. The Massacre of the Innocents appears only in Matthew's Gospel, and Matthew is also the only Gospel that tells the Magi story. Scholars often point out that the ancient historian Josephus, who wrote harshly about Herod, does not mention the massacre; others note that Bethlehem was small and the event may have involved few children. Matthew himself gives no figures, so be wary of any film or article that states an exact toll.

How close will the film be?

Wikipedia calls it an "epic biblical drama set during the Massacre of the Innocents as told in the Gospel of Matthew." That gives the film a real anchor, but the cast list shows how much room it leaves for invention. Alongside Jim Caviezel as King Herod and Deva Cassel as Mary, Wikipedia lists Jamie Ward as Joseph, Sam Worthington as Antipater (described as Herod's son), Ben Mendelsohn as Nahash and Gael García Bernal as Joachim.

Two of those names are worth a note. Herod really did have a son named Antipater, and ancient sources say Herod had him executed near the end of his life, so that part of the cast list has a historical basis. Joachim is the name church tradition, not Scripture, gives to Mary's father. The Gospels do not name him. Nahash is a name from the Old Testament, and we could not find a studio description of the character, so we will not guess. Expect dramatized relationships and dialogue that Matthew never wrote. The film also began life as "Bethlehem," described as a "spiritual thriller," and early coverage of the trailer uses words like "dark thriller." Our guide to biblical accuracy in movies explains how to read any dramatized Bible film with Scripture open beside it.

Why is the title "Zero A.D."?

There is no year zero in the calendar: 1 BC is followed directly by AD 1. Most historians also date Herod's death to about 4 BC, which means Jesus was probably born a few years before the calendar's own starting point. The title is a symbolic marker for the moment history turns, not a precise date and a good conversation starter for older kids.

Planning a family or church group outing

• Choose the right group. A youth group of 13 and up is a better fit than a family service with small children.
• Preview first. Watch the official trailer together, then decide. If the trailer is too intense, the film will be too.
• Read Matthew 2 beforehand. It takes five minutes and makes it easy to spot where the film follows the text and where it adds.
• Tickets and showtimes are listed on Angel's ticketing page. For a group booking later, check with your local theater; a cinema ticket is not a screening license, which we cover in do you need a license to show a movie at church.
• Want a gentler Christmas option this season? See our roundup of Christian Christmas movies and the full list of faith films in theaters this season.

Parent guides and critic reviews will start appearing as the release date gets closer. Our list of Christian movie review sites shows which ones give scene-level detail.

Sources

• Angel Studios, Zero A.D.: The Birth of Christ film page (release date, runtime, synopsis, Guild score), read November 3, 2026
• Wikipedia, Zero A. D.: The Birth of Christ (director, cast list, production and release history)
• Parent Previews, Zero A.D.: The Birth of Christ (PG-13 reasons, runtime, updated October 29, 2026)
• IMDb listing for Zero A.D.: The Birth of Christ (rating line)
• Matthew chapter 2, via Bible Gateway (NIV)