Crown Media Christmas in Toyland
The Hallmark Channel’s newest movie, “Christmas in Toyland,” premieres on Saturday, July 23, at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central. The movie stars Vanessa Lengies and Jesse Hutch. It is the third movie that’s part of the Christmas In July lineup. Read on to learn all about where the movie was filmed and the cast involved.
Christmas in Toyland Was Filmed in Hamilton, Ontario in Canada
Crown MediaChristmas in Toyland
“Christmas in Toyland” was filmed in the Hamilton, Ontario, region of Canada. According to the Twitter account SleepyKittyPaw, this movie wrapped filming back in September 2021, nearly a year ago. It was originally called “Christmas in Trinket Town” during filming.
CHRISTMAS IN TRINKET TOWN, starring Jesse Hutch and Vanessa Lengies, has wrapped in Hamilton. Producer Jesse Ikeman shared this video of the official end of filming.
The city of Hamilton is no stranger to the Hallmark scene, with titles like “Road to Christmas” and “Christmas in Angel Falls” under its belt. This city also has an impressive list of movies filmed there, according to IMDb, that are not Hallmark-related, such as “The Boys,” “The Umbrella Academy,” and “The Handmaid’s Tale.” It is in a perfect location, being 36 miles southwest of Toronto, and is also considered a port city, making filming scenes even more pleasing to the eye. With a population of nearly 570,000 people, it’s easy for filming crews to be submerged in city-like surroundings, and just drive a little bit to have rural scenes available, making Hamilton very convenient to film all types of movies.
Just take a look at this beautiful creek!
Ikeman also shared a photo while he was still filming the movie, and you can see the Christmas decorations in the background.
A casting call was made for the movie and shared on Facebook in August 2021.
According to Carly Granovsky Casting, the movie was filmed in the Hamilton/Dundas region from August 26-September 11, 2021. At the time, they were seeking child actors from the ages of 6-12 and adults ages 21-65 to play the roles of Christmas shoppers and staff.
Meet the Cast
“Christmas in Toyland,” which was previously titled “Christmas in Trinket Town” during filming, is about a woman trying to save a Christmas store from going online only.
Crown Media’s press release shares the following synopsis: “When Charlie (Lengies), a data analyst at a large toy store chain, learns the company is planning to transition the business exclusively online, she discovers one of their brick-and-mortar stores is outperforming the rest, and is sent to investigate why. If she can figure out what’s so special about this location, she might be able to save hundreds of jobs and keep the magic of the toy store experience alive. At the location, Charlie meets convivial, yet stubborn, store manager Grant (Hutch), whose secret to success is the welcoming atmosphere he creates, making his store a popular destination for the community. When she first arrives, Charlie’s analytical approach doesn’t sit well with Grant… As they bond over their shared goal of keeping the store open, Grant soon discovers Charlie has a secret creative side…”
Crown MediaChristmas in Toyland
Vanessa Lengies, who plays Charlie, is a Canadian actress known for shows like “Glee” and “Turner and Hooch”
She recently posted a picture on Instagram about a new weekend retreat she is hosting. Applications are available on her profile. How fun does this look?
She also mentions in this Global interview that she had previously worked with Jesse Hutch about 20 years ago on a show called American Dreams, a television show on NBC. “Talk about nostalgia for us!” she said to The Morning Show hosts.
Crown MediaChristmas in Toyland
Jesse Hutch plays Grant, the mysterious store manager who seems to have everything figured out. He recently made an announcement about the movie on his Instagram page.
The movie is directed by Bill Corcoran and also stars Lara Amersey, Elena V. Wolfe, Jane Moffat, Benjamin Sutherland, Imali Perera, Beatrice Schneider, Elva Mai Hoover, Emily Watt, Tavaree Daniel-Simms and Preston Norris.
“Christmas in Toyland” will also air at the following times:
- Sunday July 24 6/5c
- Thursday July 28 8/7c
- Sunday July 31 12/11c
Eek!!! Some more pictures from Hallmarks Christmas In Toyland starring Jesse Hutch and Vanessa Lengies premiering Saturday July 23rd!! 🎄🎅🌟❤💚⭐☃️❄🎠🎨🚀🤖🏈🤹♀️🤹♂️🕹🎮
Are you as excited as other Hallmark fans about this new movie?