Hallmark/Heavy "Blind Date Book Club"
The Hallmark Channel’s newest movie, “Blind Date Book Club,” premieres on Saturday, April 6, at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central. The movie stars Erin Krakow and Robert Buckley. Krakow shared that the cast was surprised by a “freak snowstorm” while filming, but the crew was creative enough to overcome the constantly changing weather. She also revealed just why the movie reminds her of “When Calls the Heart.”
‘Blind Date Book Club’ Faced a Surprise Snowstorm While Filming
“Blind Date Book Club” was filmed in January and February in the Langley and Gibbons, British Columbia, Canada region, Krakow shared with Digital Journal. The weather alternated between a major snowstorm and beautiful days, keeping the cast on their toes.
“The weather couldn’t quite decide what it wanted to be so we shot around a giant snowstorm following gorgeous sunny days,” Krakow shared. “The cast and crew were so much fun; we had a lot of laughs. Peter Benson directed this one and he leads with such warmth that our set always felt like a positive place to be.”
In mid-January, Krakow shared a photo of her trailer in a snowstorm and wrote, “Back at it!” Could she have been filming this movie at the time?
Faith Wright’s post (Alice) shows the same snowstorm while filming.
A casting call was made for background performers to portray “townsfolk”, noting that filming would take place from January 15-19 in Gibson. The pay started at $17.90/hour. They also needed couples in their 60s-70s and in their 20s, plus “someone with experience shucking oysters.”
In an interview with TV Goodness, Krakow said that the bookstore scenes were filmed in Langley, where they turned part of a little hotel into the bookshop.
“The scenes in the bookshop are so charming, even though you’re not necessarily getting the magnificent Nantucket scenery outside of it,” she said. “Our crew did such a fantastic job creating this bookshop within a little hotel in Langley. I’ve got to give them a lot of credit. Anytime I stepped into that set, I really felt like I was in a charming little small town bookshop.”
She said she and Buckley had fun even though the rain was freezing at times. She said they alternated between sunny days, freezing rain, and a “freak snowstorm that just dumped like crazy.”
Krakow shared a video showing each day while they were filming.
In one post, Krakow joked that Benson and Buckley had a “bromance” while filming.
Krakow Said the Movie Reminded Her of ‘When Calls the Heart’
In an interview with TV Goodness, Krakow said there were a lot of moments in the movie that reminded her of “When Calls the Heart,” where she stars as the lead character, Elizabeth.
“There is a focus on reconnecting with something that the world is trying to rush past,” she said. “I’m certainly guilty of spending more time on social media than I do reading favorite books. I personally really do appreciate a hard copy of a book.”
She said the community in the movie is also similar to Hope Valley’s community.
“The community certainly feels parallel to our community in ‘When Calls to Heart,’ but it did resonate for me,” she said. “One of the things that I love about this project is it did such a good job of celebrating that small-town community where everyone knows each other’s names. There’s a beauty and a magic in that coastal living.”
Krakow shared a lot of behind-the-scenes moments on social media, including this video of Buckley serenading Krakow while filming.
Buckley also shared some behind-the-scenes moments, including this one.
Benson, who directed the movie, wrote about his experience in a post.
“Had the best of times working with this amazing cast lead by the fantastic duo of @erinkrakow and @robertearlbuckley along with @faithmoriah @danieljbacon @johannahnewmarch @hilaryjardine and many more! Thanks to @bart_fisher and Kim Arnott for putting it all together,” he shared.
Meet the Cast
Hallmark“Blind Date Book Club”
Robert Buckley portrays Graham in the movie. Hallmark fans may remember him best from his role as Evan on “Chesapeake Shores” or his role in the two “Christmas House” movies. His other credits include “Non-Evil Twin,” “Fungeons & Flagons,” “Love in Store,” “iZombie” (71 episodes at Major Lillywhite), “The Christmas Contract,” “Play It Again, Dick,” “666 Park Avenue,” “Hart of Dixie,” and more.
Erin Krakow is Meg. Of course, Hallmark viewers will know her as Elizabeth on “When Calls the Heart.” Her other roles include “The Wedding Cottage,” “It Was Always You,” “Sense, Sensibility & Snowmen,” “A Summer Romance,” the “Father Christmas” Hallmark movies, “A Cookie Cutter Christmas,” and more.
According to Hallmark’s press release, also starring in the movie are:
- Faith Wright (Alice)
- Glynis Davis (Aunt Renee)
- Daniel Bacon (Terrance)
- Hilary Jardine (Lizzy)
- Moheb Jindran (Jackson)
- Chiara Guzzo (Stacey)
- Rochelle Greenwood (Talia)
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