Film Music Reporter

Composers Dan Haseltine & Matthew S. Nelson are reteaming with writer/director/producer Dallas Jenkins on the upcoming family holiday comedy The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. The film is directed by Jenkins (The Resurrection of Gavin Stone, What if…) and stars Judy Greer, Pete Holmes, Molly Belle Wright and Lauren Graham. The movie is based on the bestselling book of the same title by Barbara Robinson and follows a group of children as they are taking over their local church Pageant and unwittingly teach a shocked community the true meaning of Christmas. Platte F. Clark & Darin McDaniel wrote the screenplay with Ryan Swanson (The Killing Floor) and Jenkins himself. Kingdom Story Company’s Kevin Downes, Jon Erwin & Andrew Erwin (I Still Believe, Jesus Revolution) and Daryl Lefever (I Can Only Imagine, American Underdog) are producing the project with Darin McDaniel and Chet Thomas (Waterman). Nelson & Haseltine have previously collaborated with Jenkins on the faith-based hit TV series The Chosen and also scored the Jenkins-produced 2023 feature The Shift. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever will be released in theaters nationwide on November 8, 2024 by Lionsgate.