Paul Campbell
Paul Campbell is going to headline a new Hallmark TV project that’s very different from the work he’s done before. He’ll be starring opposite Aimee Garcia in a new mystery movie, Variety first reported.
Please note: Although Variety first reported this as being a series, Hallmark reached out to Heavy and shared that this will be a standalone movie, not a series.
This Is a Mystery Movie About a Married Couple
Variety reported that the movie, called “The Cases of Mystery Lane,” will be about “a married couple who find a new way to keep the mystery alive… quite literally.”
Laura Gaines, director of development at Hallmark Media, told Variety that the movie is going to combine romance, intrigue, and humor. Gaines said it will be “reminiscent of some of my favorite stories of amateur sleuths, in over their heads.”
In the movie, Garcia’s character — Birdie Case — is an attorney and Campbell’s character — Alden — is a “smart and charming man with an inability to settle.” He takes private investigator classes without his wife, and gets caught up in a murder mystery, Hallmark shared. Both Birdie and Alden are hiding secrets from each other, which makes things even more complicated.
Variety reported this as being a series, but Hallmark told Heavy that this is a standalone movie. The script was written by Joel Dovev and Margaux Froley. Mike Rohl is directing.
Back in 2019, the script was getting attention on The Black List.
Black List readers think you should read THE CASES OF MYSTERY LANE by Joel Dovev, Margaux Froley t.co/gP1eZmbkGq
At the time it was described as a “well-written and naturally compelling” script and “the pilot promises a dark comedy detective series with disarming sincerity…” However, a Hallmark representative has told Heavy that they would not describe the movie as a dark comedy but as a “fun, comedic mystery movie.”
Campbell Said This Will Be a ‘Fun Year’
On Twitter two days before the announcement, a fan said they hoped Campbell was working on some scripts. Campbell replied, “Ha! Hi Shan. I wish I was knee deep. I am, in fact, so much deeper than knee I’m having trouble seeing over the top of it. This is going to be a fun year. A VERY fun year.”
@bonoisagod Ha! Hi Shan. I wish I was knee deep. I am, in fact, so much deeper than knee I’m having trouble seeing over the top of it. This is going to be a fun year. A VERY fun year.
Campbell is well-known among Hallmark viewers. He starred in the top-viewed movie of 2022, “Three Wise Men & a Baby,” opposite Tyler Hynes and Andrew Walker. He’s also starred in “Dating the Delaneys,” “The Nine Kittens of Christmas” with a cameo, “Christmas by Starlight,” “Wedding Every Weekend,” and much more.
Garcia is well-known for her role as Ella in 80 episodes of “Lucifer.” Her other credits include “Dragons: The Nine Realms,” “Christmas with You,” “Murder at Yellowstone City,” “Woke,” “Holiday in Santa Fe,” “MODOK,” “Saint Judy,” and more.
Campbell will also be visiting with fans at the Christmas Con event being held in Kansas in June this year, he shared on Instagram.
Stars including Jonathan Bennett, Andrew Walker, Brennan Elliott, Cameron Mathison, Danica McKellar, and more will also be attending.
The first social media announcement was made by Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, which means the movie will be airing on that channel rather than on the Hallmark Channel.
Some fans in the replies asked about other mystery series that they’re still waiting to be resolved, like “Mystery 101” which ended on a cliffhanger. Screenwriter John Christian Plummer has said that the script for the next “Mystery 101” is written and they’re just waiting on Hallmark’s go-ahead.
Alison Sweeney recently revealed that she’s working on a new mystery movie herself, but wouldn’t say if it was a new concept or a continuation of “Hannah Swensen” or “Chronicle Mysteries.”
READ NEXT: Watch Deleted Scenes from ‘Three Wise Men & a Baby’