Watch the trailer here!

The film marks the feature directorial debut of Adam Anders, who was a music producer on “Glee.” A retelling of the the story of Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus, the film is a live-action Christmas musical weaving classic Christmas melodies with humor, faith and new pop songs.

The cast includes Fiona Palomo (“Outer Banks”) as Mary, Milo Manheim (“Prom Pact”) as Joseph, Antonio Banderas (“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”) as Herod, Stephanie Gil (“Fatima”), Rizwan Manji (“Schitt’s Creek”), Geno Segers (“Perfect Harmony”), Omid Djalili (“Gladiator”), Joel Smallbone and Lecrae.

Anders penned the script along with Peter Barsocchini (“High School Musical”) and wrote the music with Nikki Anders (“Glee”) and Peer Astrom (“Rock of Ages”). The film is produced by Anders, Alan Powell and Steve Barnett through Monarch Media, and executive produced by Barsocchini and Monarch’s Vicky Patel with Ryan Busse, Stephen Meinen, Brandt Andersen also serving as producers.

“I have had a dream to create a Christmas musical for years and to see it come to life with a stunning cast has exceeded every expectation,” Anders said in a statement. “We could not be more excited for this film to be a classic for years to come.”

Manheim added: “I hope this music goes down in history because I’m going to be listening to it for a long time. It’s one of the best musicals I’ve ever been a part of.”

“This is Affirm Films’ first musical in 17 years and over 65 films, and the opportunity to work with one of the most successful music producers and songwriters for our first outing has resulted in a film that far exceeds our expectations,” said Rich Peluso, executive VP and head of Affirm Films. “We’re looking forward to sharing this accessible and amazing musical journey with audiences around the world.”

Credit: Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13th September 2023