Heavy/Hallmark Paul Campbell, Andrew Walker and Tyler Hynes, stars of Hallmark's 2022 hit "Three Wise Men and a Baby"
Three little emoji caused near pandemonium among die-hard Hallmark fans on April 9, 2024, when the stars of Hallmark Chanel’s Christmas comedy “Three Wise Men and a Baby” — the most-watched movie on cable TV in 2022 — all uploaded cryptic posts, one after the other.
Tyler Hynes, Andrew Walker and Paul Campbell, who played the Brenner brothers in “Three Wise Men,” have been dogged by questions from fans and reporters for more than a year about whether they’ll re-team for another movie. On April 9, each posted a different emoji on Instagram with no caption, causing Hallmarkies to frantically try to solve the puzzle.
Adding to the frenzy, Hallmark Mystery’s Instagram account popped into the comments, leading many fans to suspect that a mystery movie may be in the works for the beloved trio.
Coordinated Online Stunt From Tyler Hynes, Andrew Walker & Paul Campbell Thrills Fans
Heavy/HallmarkHallmark stars Tyler Hynes, Andrew Walker and Paul Campbell uploaded different emoji in a coordinated social media stunt on April 9, 2024.
In the clearly coordinated effort to build buzz, Hynes, who recently starred in Hallmark Channel’s “Shifting Gears,” was the first member of the beloved trio to post his emoji — a purple alien monster.
Next came Walker, whose next “Curious Caterer” mystery with Nikki DeLoach premieres on April 26. Shortly after Hynes, he posted an “old man” emoji.
Within moments, a similar Instagram post appeared from Paul Campbell, who not only co-starred in “Three Wise Men and a Baby” but co-wrote the Leo Award winning script with fellow Hallmark star Kimberly Sustad. Campbell uploaded the “melting face” emoji.
Fans were quick to notice the succession of posts from the trio and instantly flipped out, with hundreds leaving comments within hours of the postings.
On Hynes’ post, one fan wrote, “so all 3 Brenner boys post what seem like totally random but not random emojis and now my mind is going berserk and I can’t think about anything else”
Another excited fan wrote, “Holy 💩 this is exciting news …the gang is back together!! LOVE IT! ❤️”
Among the many fans who weighed in on Walker’s post, one commented, “Andrew Walker. Do not play with me here. Another 3 men?!”
On Campbell’s post, someone wrote, “Ok….. @paulcampbellofficial what are you boys up to?!?!? Do the hynies need to start collecting bail money?!?! 😂😂😂 jk. Well, not really! I’m sure whatever it it you and @awalkk35 and @tyler_hynes are having so much fun together!!! ❤️❤️cannot wait to see the final product! ❤️”
Though Sustad, who appeared in a cameo in “Three Wise Men and a Baby,” did not post her own emoji in her feed, she did comment on Hynes’ post with the dotted-line face emoji, which typically signifies someone who is “invisible or hidden,” according to Emojipedia. Fans did not miss her subtle nod, surmising in many of their comments that she is also involved.
Hallmark’s ‘Three Wise Men’ Trio Has Said a Sequel Was Not Likely, But Fans Now Think a Mystery is Coming
HallmarkTyler Hynes, Paul Campbell, and Andrew Walker in the 2022 Christmas comedy “Three Wise Men and a Baby”
A couple of hours after Hynes, Walker and Campbell posted their emojis, the Instagram account for the recently-rebranded Hallmark Mystery channel commented on each of their posts.
The account cryptically commented on Hynes’ post, “A picture’s worth a thousand words they say….👀”
On Walker’s post, Hallmark Mystery commented, “Trying to gather the clues to decipher what’s going on here. 👀”
On Campbell’s post, the account wrote, “Need some expert #sleuthers to decode what’s going on here,” and added a smiling face with a tear emoji.
Those comments took many fans’ curiosity to the next level, figuring the social media stunt signifies a mystery movie is in the works — and some even tried to figure out the plot.
A mystery movie makes sense for the trio, given that Hallmark has recommitted to producing more mysteries in 2024 and because all three have said in interviews that while they all wanted to team up again, it wasn’t likely that they’d play the same characters.
In June 2023, Walker told Heavy that there was something magical about their chemistry together, so he was all-in for an on-screen reunion, no matter the storyline.
“Paul can bring down a room, like he is just so funny,” Walker said. “And then Tyler with his understated ‘Mr. Cool Guy’ thing that he does. It’s just incredible and so funny. I feel so fortunate that we found this in each other now. It’s amazing. It opens up a whole new world for us, you know? And I’m not just saying on camera but off camera, too.”
In December, Campbell told the Christmas Countdown Show podcast, “I know there’s been a lot of talk about the sequel and I think, you know, Hallmark traditionally hasn’t jumped at sequels because they’re really difficult.”
“There’s no question that that’s bouncing around over there,” he continued. “I think everyone’s just trying to figure out, ‘Is it the right way to go? Can you recapture the magic? Can you do it again? Are we smart to just let that thing be its own thing or, if the right idea comes up, you know, should we roll the dice and try and do a sequel?’”