What happens when a beloved Christmas carol collides with the American Revolution? That’s the bold swing behind Drummer Boy, the new musical from brothers Ben and Joel David Smallbone. It draws on for KING + COUNTRY’s hit take on “Little Drummer Boy” to tell the story of the Clem family, whose sons are driven onto opposite sides of the war for independence. The film has been in development since 2018 and is Angel’s first live-action theatrical musical. It blends sweeping battle scenes with original songs and a message summed up in its tagline: “Forgiveness is revolutionary.” 

The Synopsis

In this epic musical, two brothers are driven onto opposite sides of the American Revolutionary War. With love, loyalty, and family caught in the crossfire, each must decide who he will become, as the fight for freedom turns into a deeply personal battle for forgiveness. 

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To celebrate the Drummer Boy release, I was connected via Zoom with co-director Ben Smallbone, Joel David Smallbone, India Brown, and Lucas Leach, along with Melora Hardin, Ioan Gruffudd, and Iain Glen. We talked about the music, the family at the film’s heart, and what this story means to them and more!

Ben Smallbone | INTERVIEW

Drummer Boy has been a long time coming for co-director Ben David Smallbone. He and his brother Joel started developing the Revolutionary War musical in 2018, and COVID stalled it. During that pause they made Unsung Hero, the 2024 film about their family’s move from Australia to America. Now it has arrived as Angel’s first live-action theatrical musical, timed  with  America’s 250th anniversary. I spoke with Ben about turning a beloved Christmas song into a war epic about two brothers on opposite sides of the fight for independence, and about what it was like to make a film about brothers with his own.

Joel David Smallbone, India Brown & Lucas Leach | INTERVIEW

Joel David Smallbone pulls double duty on Drummer Boy. He co-directed the film and stars as Jeremiah Clem, whose younger brother Benjamin, played by Lucas Leach, joins the Patriot cause as a drummer boy, putting the brothers on opposite sides of the Revolutionary War. India Brown plays Emmaline, an enslaved woman searching for freedom in a revolution fought in freedom’s name, and sings the original song “Wildflower.” I connected with all three via Zoom to talk about the music, the divided Clem family, and why Small bone calls the film a thank-you letter to America.

Melora Hardin, Ioan Gruffudd & Iain Glen | INTERVIEW

Drummer Boy rounds out its cast with three veteran performers. Ioan Gruffudd plays Nathaniel Clem, the father whose fate in the film’s opening sets the family’s story in motion. Melora Hardin plays his wife, Rachel, who is left to hold her family together as war pulls her sons, Jeremiah and Benjamin, onto opposite sides. Iain Glen plays Major John Ambrose, a Patriot officer whose bond with young drummer Benjamin becomes one of the film’s central relationships. I spoke with the trio about bringing an 18th-century story to life through song, and film’s cinematic war images. 

Studio has released Drummer Boy exclusively in theaters today, November 6, 2026. 

Source: LRMExclusive, Studio

About Angel

Angel (NYSE: ANGX) is a media and technology company successfully pioneering a first-of-its-kind audience-driven model. Founded by brothers who struggled to find films they could watch with their children, Angel was built on the belief that there was a global audience hungry for values-driven storytelling that amplifies light, celebrates hope, and inspires the moral imagination of viewers. That audience became the Angel Guild, a rapidly growing community of over 2.85 million paying members* who watch, screen, and vote on which films and television series get produced and distributed on the Angel platform. According to Rotten Tomatoes, Angel’s releases average among the highest audience satisfaction scores in the industry.** It has done so while evolving a new economic model that shares profits more fully with filmmakers, with cumulative earnings of nearly $300 million. 

*As of July 31, 2026. For the most recent Guild membership number, visit https://www.angel.com/impact.

**www.rottentomatoes.com Popcornmeter (Data sourced June 30, 2026).