Heavy/Hallmark/Getty Kimberley Sustad, Benjamin Ayres, Mishael Morgan and Paul Campbell
When Hallmark Media announced its new lineup of Countdown to Christmas movies on September 19, 2023, it left out one important detail: some of the 42 titles it revealed hadn’t even been filmed yet. With its biggest roster of original holiday movies set to begin airing on October 20, the network is working hard to complete filming and post-production on some of the movies fans are now counting on seeing this holiday season.
Here’s what you need to know:
‘Christmas in Bethlehem, PA’ is Currently Filming in Canada
Despite the five-month writers’ strike and the ongoing SAG-AFTRA actors’ strike, Lisa Hamilton Daly, EVP of programming at Hallmark Media, told Variety on September 15 that the network had planned ahead and filmed movies early to ensure it could release a robust roster of new holiday titles for its annual Countdown to Christmas lineup, with 42 original movies between Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, plus two exclusive films for its streaming service, Hallmark Now.
“Christmas is a year-round business at Hallmark, so we were able to mitigate early in the year understanding that the strikes were unfortunately imminent,” Daly said. “We’re grateful to meet all our goals for a full, all-new holiday slate and to bring our viewers the content they love most to celebrate the season.”
Some movies did get made well in advance of the holidays and the impending strikes, like “A Biltmore Christmas” with Kristoffer Polaha and Bethany Joy Lenz, which was filmed in Asheville, North Carolina, back in January. But others are still in the process of getting made. They’re able to continue filming now thanks to exceptions granted by SAG-AFTRA or because Canadian actors and productions are part of a separate union.
Longtime Hallmark star Benjamin Ayres, who appears next in “Field Day” premiering on October 14, has been busy filming “Miracle in Bethlehem, PA” with Laura Vandervoort in Winnipeg since September 26. According to a Facebook post by MadLib Casting and Film Services, producers were scrambling to find last-minute extras the day filming began. The movie is scheduled to wrap on October 17, per Casting Workbook, following the typical three-week shoot schedule for Hallmark movies.
Ayres and Vandervoort have shared Instagram photos and Stories together from the set, including a couple with Hallmark regular Niall Matter, who had not been officially named as part of the cast. He is already set to co-star in “Holiday Hotline” with Emily Tennant, premiering on November 19.
Promoted as a new DaySpring movie, which is Hallmark’s faith-based brand of programming, “Miracle in Bethlehem, PA” is scheduled to premiere on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries on December 21. That makes for a fairly tight turnaround for the director.
Daniel Lewis, CEO of the independent production company Evergreen Films, which has produced multiple movies for Hallmark including last year’s “My Southern Family Christmas” with Jaicy Elliot, recently told Marketplace that Hallmark movies typically take around five months in total to produce, with planning and pre-production lasting “roughly four weeks,” followed by a three-week shoot. According to the outlet, he said post-production can last anywhere between six and 12 weeks, but can be sped up for last-minute Christmas movies.
Which Hallmark Stars are Filming Last-Minute Christmas Movies in Canada?
Hallmark/GettyPaul Campbell, Kimberley Sustad, Ronnie Rowe Jr.
Numerous other movies, all slated for December premieres, are in the throes of filming in Canada for Hallmark right now, including “Sealed With a List,” scheduled to premiere on Hallmark Channel on December 16. According to Entertainment Weekly, actress Katie Findlay plays a woman who “sets out to conquer her list of abandoned resolutions from last year” and gets assistance from her handsome and helpful co-worker, played by Evan Roderick.
The New Westminster Record captured photos on October 4 of the “Sealed With a List” cast and director Lucie Guest — an actress who’s become a sought-after rom-com director — filming outdoors with props including “a Christmas tree, snow (real and fake) and oversized ornaments.”
Meanwhile, longtime Hallmark star and screenwriter Kimberley Sustad just began filming “To All a Good Night” with Mark Ghanimé in Victoria, British Columbia. According to Creative BC, that shoot — directed by Hallmark actor and director Antonio Cupo — was scheduled to begin on October 10, with an October 28 wrap date. The film is expected to premiere on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries on December 7, giving Cupo only four weeks in post-production.
Sustad’s writing partner, Paul Campbell, has been filming nearby in Vancouver for the movie “Magic in Mistletoe,” due to premiere on Hallmark Channel on December 8. His co-stars include Lyndie Greenwood of 2022’s “Girlfriendship” and “Holiday Heritage,” and newcomer Raugi Yu, who shared a video from his trailer on September 26, the first day of filming. According to Creative BC, that movie is scheduled to wrap on October 14.
On the opposite side of Canada, near Toronto, the cast of the Mahogany movie “Christmas With a Kiss” is scheduled to wrap filming on October 13, according to the Downtown Milton website, which tracks events happening in the small town. The movie is set to premiere on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries on December 3.
“The Young and the Restless” soap star Mishael Morgan will make her Hallmark debut in the movie alongside “Star Trek: Discovery” alum Ronnie Rowe Jr., whose last Hallmark movie was 2022’s “Inventing the Christmas Prince” with Tamera Mowry-Housley, per IMDb. On October 7, Inside Halton published photos of them filming on Main Street, set to look like a Christmas carnival was underway.
Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas kicks off on October 20 with the premiere of the hockey-themed rom-com “Checkin’ it Twice,” featuring Kim Matula and “When Calls The Heart” star Kevin McGarry.