Hallmark "A Royal Christmas Crush"
The Hallmark Channel’s newest “Christmas in July” movie, “A Royal Christmas Crush,” premieres on Saturday, July 8, at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central. The movie stars Katie Cassidy and Stephen Huszar. Read on to learn all about where the movie was filmed and the cast involved.
‘A Royal Christmas Crush’ Was Filmed in Quebec and Ontario, Canada
Hallmark“A Royal Christmas Crush”
“A Royal Christmas Crush” (working title “Winter Castle Royal Romance”) was directed by Marita Grabiak and filmed in Quebec and Ontario, Canada. According to ACTRA, the movie filmed from March 6 through March 24.
The Twitter account @SleepyKittyPaw, known for relaying accurate information about Hallmark filming projects, was one of the first to reveal that they filmed part of the movie at the same ice hotel as previous Hallmark movies: Hotel de Glace in Quebec. Other Hallmark films that took place at this castle were “Baby It’s Cold Inside” (premiered in 2021 and starred Jocelyn Hudon and Steven Lund) and “Winter Castle” from 2019, starring Emilie Ullerup and Kevin McGarry.
The movie also filmed some scenes at Chateau Laurier and the Booth House in Ottawa. The movie has also shot scenes at Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm.
Cassidy shared quite a few behind-the-scenes moments from filming, including this one:
While on set she had a little fun with her co-star, making snow angels between takes, she shared.
“just a tad cold on set 🥶🎬🇨🇦” she posted.
“Behind the scenes! 🎬🎥🎬🇨🇦💫🙏” she wrote in another post.
On her way to Canada, she joked that she was born to be in the country: “’merica and HELLLLOOO Canada! ❤️💫🙋🏼♀️ #BornToBeACanadian 😂😘🇨🇦”
Kathryn Kohut, who stars in the movie, posted a series of pictures and videos with Huszar and crew while at the Hotel de Glace in Quebec.
Angela Besharah, who also stars in the movie, posted on March 24 on Instagram when they wrapped filming: “From Turkeys to Ice Castles.. this on set adventure is now complete. So thankful to have worked with this incredibly generous & kind team (not to mention talented!!) and that my little big nugget was such a star in joining me for the adventure!”
Tweets by the Twitter account Sleepy Kitty Paw also showed a few behind-the-scenes pictures.
The Stars Are Dating in Real Life After Meeting on Set
Hallmark“A Royal Christmas Crush”
The movie isn’t just a scripted romance, but it also led to a real-life romance. Huszar and Cassidy are dating in real life.
Cassidy plays Ava. According to her bio, she’s an actor, producer, writer, and director. She first gained recognition in the horror genre, earning the title of a scream queen through her roles in films such as “When a Stranger Calls” and “Black Christmas.” She also starred in the popular horror series “Supernatural” by portraying the character Ruby during its third season.
Katie, who filed for divorce in 2020 from Matthew Rodgers, said in a People exclusive: “I have been dating, yes. It’s fun. It was weird during the pandemic, but also again, I think I needed that pause and reset to heal. I think if I’m supposed to meet someone, I’ll meet them naturally, organically.”
And she did. She and co-star Huszar recently embarked on a trip to Europe.
Cassidy and Huszar shared the reasons behind their decision to conceal their developing romance during the production of their latest Hallmark movie.
“We obviously [were] professional and kept it that way,” Cassidy told Yahoo. “However, I felt as though it’s almost like there was this layer because he and I kind of knew this secret thing that nobody else knew. And we could let our guard down when our characters were supposed to and allow space to fall into one another. I almost feel like that added a certain type of element to it. We just couldn’t help it.”
Huszar plays the charming Prince Henry. According to his bio, he’s a Canadian actor born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He started his acting journey in 2004 with a part in the TV movie “The Cradle Will Fall.” Soon after, he secured his first leading role in the film “Caught in the Headlights.” He went on to land recurring roles in well-known series like “Smallville” on The CW, “The Fringe” on FOX, “Corner Gas” on CTV, and “Paradise Falls” on Showcase.
Also starring in the movie are:
- Kathryn Kohut
- Angela Besharah
- Pip Dwyer
- Charlie Ebbs
- Glenn Edward Gyorffy
- Alice Hamid
Hallmark’s detailed synopsis for the movie reads:
Ava Jensen (Cassidy) is a talented architect who joins her beloved Uncle Karl (Charlie Ebbs, “Six Degrees of Santa”), in the enchanting frozen kingdom of Fríðrland to build an elaborate ice castle for the Royal Family – a tradition going back almost 200 years. Every year, the Royal Family gathers at the ice castle to relax and get away while they prepare for the annual Royal Christmas Ball. While there, Ava meets the handsome Prince Henry (Huszar), heir to the throne and one of the most eligible bachelors in the world. Although the two may be from completely different worlds, they become smitten with one another. The Prince, impressed by Ava’s talents, asks her to help him with his big speech and the two set out to learn more about one another. However, things aren’t as magical as they appear as the palace’s scheming Director of Logistics, Brigitta (Angela Besharah, “Circuit Breakers”), seeking to restore her family’s nobility and status, is determined to win the charming Prince over for her own daughter, the beautiful and very persistent, Sigrid (Kathryn Kohut, “Fly Away with Me”). With so much at stake, Brigitta sets out to sabotage the new budding romance before the Prince and Ava can get too close, however, hearts may already be melting in this winter wonderland ice palace.
READ NEXT: Hallmark’s Christmas in July Lineup
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Where Was ‘A Royal Christmas Crush’ Filmed? See Cast Stories & Locations