Drummer Boy (2026): Release Date, Cast, PG-13 Rating and Family Guide

Drummer Boy, the Revolutionary War Christmas musical from Angel Studios and the Grammy-winning duo for KING + COUNTRY, opens in theaters on Friday, November 6, 2026. It is rated PG-13 for war violence and some bloody images, runs 2 hours 9 minutes, and Angel recommends it for ages 12 and up. There is no streaming date yet, so theaters are the only way to see it for now.

This guide collects what the studio has confirmed about the cast, story, rating and accessibility options, clears up a common mix-up with a different Drummer Boy title, and gives a practical plan for families and church groups. We read Angel's film page and its official Drummer Boy FAQ on November 2, 2026. We have not seen the finished film, so nothing below is a review.

Quick facts

• Opens: Friday, November 6, 2026, exclusively in theaters in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Angel says other countries will be announced later.
• Rating: PG-13 (MPA) for war violence and some bloody images. Angel Guild recommended age: 12+.
• Runtime: 2 hours 9 minutes, according to Angel's film page and Rotten Tomatoes.
• Type: a live-action historical musical in the Christmas season, set at the start of the American Revolution.
• Directors: brothers Ben Smallbone and Joel David Smallbone.

What is Drummer Boy about?

Angel's synopsis: "As America's fight for independence begins, a young drummer boy, an enslaved woman, and a divided family each search for freedom in a world built to deny it." The studio adds that music carries hope through battle and loss, and that the story is about faith, forgiveness and the belief that no person is born to live in chains.

At the center are two brothers, Jeremiah and Benjamin Clem, who end up on opposite sides of the war. Faith Film Fan's release listing describes it as a story where "the fight for freedom becomes a battle for forgiveness." A third thread follows Emmaline, an enslaved woman searching for her own freedom, so this is not only a battlefield film. Expect a serious historical backdrop rather than a light holiday comedy.

Is Drummer Boy a true story?

Angel calls it a historical musical, and its synopsis does not present the Clem brothers as real historical figures. The war is real, and drummers were a genuine part of Revolutionary War armies, where drumbeats helped carry orders across noisy fields. The film arrives in 2026, the 250th anniversary year of the Declaration of Independence. If your family wants a film based on documented events, our guide to where to watch Young Washington covers a true-story option.

Who is in the cast?

Angel's cast list names:

• Joel David Smallbone as Jeremiah Clem. He is one half of for KING + COUNTRY and also co-directs.
• Lucas Leach as Benjamin Clem
• India Brown as Emmaline
• Melora Hardin as Rachel Clem
• Ioan Gruffudd as Nathaniel Clem. He played William Wilberforce in Amazing Grace, a good companion film for older teens.
• Charles Esten as Lord Balfour

Press coverage such as Ponly's release guide also names Iain Glen among the supporting cast and credits the screenplay to Richard L. Ramsey. Angel's own page lists the directors and the cast above, so treat the extra names as press-reported until you see the credits.

Is it family friendly? A PG-13 guide

Angel's FAQ states the rating reason plainly: war violence and some bloody images. That tells you what to expect even though we cannot describe individual scenes.

• Under 10: most families will want to wait. Battle scenes and blood are the stated reasons for the rating, and children who know the band from its Christmas music may not be ready for that.
• Ages 10 to 12: this is a judgment call. Angel's own guidance starts at 12, so a parent who has read reviews or watched the trailer first is in the best position to decide.
• Teens and adults: the natural audience. Teens who liked Hacksaw Ridge or Unbroken are used to this level of wartime intensity, and the themes of forgiveness between brothers make good conversation material afterward.

For scene-level detail once critics and parent-review sites publish, see our list of Christian movie review sites. Angel lists a Guild score of 91 on its film page, but that is the studio's own audience measure. Rotten Tomatoes showed no critic score at the time we checked, so wait for independent reviews if you are undecided.

Video: DRUMMER BOY | Official Trailer | In Theaters Nov 6 | Angel by Angel (YouTube)

Not the same as "A Drummer Boy Christmas LIVE"

Many searchers land on the wrong title. Angel's FAQ is explicit that these are two separate films:

• Drummer Boy (2026) is the live-action Revolutionary War musical opening in theaters on November 6.
• KING + COUNTRY: A Drummer Boy Christmas LIVE is a concert film that retells the Nativity story through songs. Angel says it is streaming now on its own service.

If you want a gentler Christmas option for young children tonight, the concert film is the one to look up. For the war musical, plan on the cinema.

Accessibility and showtimes

Angel says it is making English captions, SDH and audio description available to theaters, plus Spanish and French subtitles, but individual cinemas decide what they screen. Call your local theater to confirm before you go. Showtimes and tickets are listed on Angel's ticketing page.

Planning a church, school or youth-group outing

• Book early for opening weekend if your group needs seats together; showtimes and seat maps are on the theater's own site.
• Group tickets are not a screening license. Buying seats together at a cinema is a normal purchase. Showing the film later in your own hall is different and needs a public performance license, which we cover in our guide on whether you need a license to show a movie at church.
• Want the whole theater? Angel's FAQ points to its guide on booking a private theater.
• Have a discussion ready. Two questions that fit the premise: what does it cost to forgive someone you disagree with, and what does freedom mean to the characters who do not have it? Our church movie night checklist has a simple format for the conversation.

What else is opening this season?

Drummer Boy is one of several faith films arriving before Christmas. Our roundup of new Christian movies in theaters lists the dates and ratings for the full fall slate, and our Christian movies for teens guide has older titles you can watch at home in the meantime.

Sources

• Angel Studios, Drummer Boy film page (cast, directors, PG-13, 2h 9m, release date, synopsis), read November 2, 2026
• Angel Support, Drummer Boy FAQ (territories, rating reason, captions, the separate Christmas LIVE concert film, private-theater booking)
• Rotten Tomatoes, Drummer Boy (genre, runtime, no critic score yet)
• Faith Film Fan, New Releases (November 6 opening, premise wording)
• Ponly, Drummer Boy release guide (supporting cast and screenplay credit, press-reported)