A version of “The Little Drummer Boy” by the Australian duo for KING + COUNTRY has been returning to the charts every holiday season for the past few years. Now it seems the song has inspired a movie.
Joel Smallbone will co-direct and star in the film, Drummer Boy, set to hit theaters Nov. 6. A press release describes it as a “Christmas musical about two brothers who find themselves on opposite sides of the American Revolutionary War.”
Joel’s co-director is his brother Ben Smallbone; there are seven Smallbone siblings in all, including Joel’s bandmate Luke Smallbone. Joel and Ben say in a statement that the “fabric of the film” is “a nation built on 250 years of independence” and “a Christmas story that began over 2,000 years ago.”
They go on to say that Drummer Boy is a movie “created by brothers, about brothers,” adding, “We’re humbled beyond words to bring it to life.”
Joel also has a role in Young Washington, a film about George Washington’s early years. It stars Ben Kingsley, Kelsey Grammer, Mary-Louise Parker and Andy Serkis, and will hit theaters on Independence Day weekend.
Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
