For King & Country's 'Drummer Boy' Hits Theaters as Christmas Movie Season Begins

The holiday movie season is here, and a Grammy Award-winning duo is delivering the first big release. For King and Country's highly anticipated "Drummer Boy" hits theaters Friday. It's a nearly 90-year-old classic and a longtime, signature carol for the Christian pop duo's Christmas tour.  

Joel Smallbone told CBN News' Studio 5 how they turned "Drummer Boy" into a story for the silver screen. 

"It's so fascinating because it's almost like the movie chose us more than we chose the movie. Well, it's For King & Country. It's a British mantra. We always got dressed up in this sort of Revolutionary War attire. We did this rendition of the Little Drummer Boy. Luke is the drummer boy. We're two brothers; you end up on opposite sides of the battlefield. It was like writing itself already," he continued. 

"And then in 2018 was the kind of precipice moment that we were like, oh wow, we love these sort of ideas of what does it mean to have forgiveness? What does it mean to choose each other? What does it mean to end up on opposite sides of the battlefield of life? And that was really the inception of the film. And from literally 2018 to today, we've been working on bringing it to life," Joel explained.

Luke Smallbone shared the day-to-day of working on the set for this film.
  
"It was in Ireland. So, when we were over there, Joel was over there for about 4 months. I was over there for 3 months. And it was kind of one of the wonderful things because Joel and Ben, our other brother, co-directed the film, and I was one of the producers. Joel also acts in the film. I have a tiny little role. I say seven words. I'm not pronounced there. I will be looking for your vote, trust me. And obviously, to be able to make this film with brothers, obviously Joel was on both sides of the camera to be involved. And at the end of the day, it was a dream come true to make a project like this with people that you love was very special," Luke said.

Altogether, it is a tale of brothers on opposite sides of a battle, and a love story, and a forbidden bond between a soldier and an enslaved young woman.

"We've sort of said it from it's like Hamilton meets The Patriot meets Greatest Showman meets Pride and Prejudice. It's like if you ram them all together," Joel said.

"Drummer Boy" is now in theaters nationwide. Click here to learn more and find tickets.