As Hallmark Channel celebrates its 25th birthday, the network is gifting viewers with festive news: more fan-favorite stars are joining the 17th Annual Countdown to Christmas programming event, the undisputed #1 destination for holiday movies!
Key Takeaways
- Hallmark announced three new Countdown to Christmas movies.
- Alison Sweeney and Ashley Williams reunite as stars and executive producers.
- Tamera Mowry-Housley and Kristoffer Polaha team up for the first time.
- Jonathan Bennett and Italia Ricci headline a holiday friends-to-lovers romance.
Alison Sweeney & Ashley Williams Team Up for Multi-State Road Trip Movie
At a sold-out panel at 92NY on Tuesday, August 4, Alison Sweeney (Hannah Swensen Mysteries) and Ashley Williams (An Alpine Holiday) announced they will reunite for a new holiday adventure that they will both star in and executive produce.
Steve Lund (Garage Sale Mysteries, She’s Making a List) also stars in the untitled film, written by Alejandro Alcoba (Another Life, Holly Hobbie) and directed by Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe (Pie to Die For: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, This Time Each Year). Hallmark’s Make Her Mark Women’s Directing Program participant Sarah Wilson Thacker is set to shadow Lowe. Production begins this month in Vancouver.
In the film, Cassidy (Ashley Williams), a no-nonsense Chicago lawyer, finds herself scrambling to reach her father in Nashville on Christmas Eve after her flight is canceled. She reluctantly teams up with fellow traveler Jo (Alison Sweeney), whose sunny demeanor is the complete opposite of Cassidy’s sensible style.
Jo enlists her truck driver brother Chase (Steve Lund) to drive them to another airport for new flights. As snags derail their journey, Chase repeatedly comes to the rescue, igniting a romantic spark with Cassidy while Jo and Cassidy build a deep, unexpected friendship.
Tamera Mowry-Housley & Kristoffer Polaha Star in Mistletoe and Mimosas
During a virtual Television Critics Association (TCA) panel on Wednesday, August 5, Darren Abbott, President of Hallmark Media and Hallmark Chief Brand Officer, and Michelle Vicary, Head of Programming for Hallmark Media, announced that Tamera Mowry-Housley (Tidings for the Season, Haunted Harmony Mysteries) and Kristoffer Polaha (Missing the Boat, A Grand Ole Opry Christmas) will share the screen for the first time in Mistletoe and Mimosas (working title).
Mowry-Housley executive produces the film, which was written by Russell Hainline (Merry Christmas, Ted Cooper!, Three Wisest Men). Filming begins this month in Vancouver.
The story centers on Claire Bennett (Tamera Mowry-Housley), a Manhattan business consultant who inherits her late uncle’s debt-ridden, Christmas-themed bar, The Tipsy Reindeer, in upstate New York. Intending to fix the finances and sell to a buyer who will preserve her uncle’s legacy, Claire collides with Zach (Kristoffer Polaha), part-owner of Algorithm, the trendy new club driving her uncle’s bar out of business.
Zach wants to buy and expand into the property, leading Claire to propose a 12 Days of Christmas-inspired rivalry to boost business. If Claire wins, Zach uses his industry contacts to find the right buyer; if Zach wins, Claire considers Algorithm’s offer. As the festive competition heats up, sparks fly between the rivals.
Jonathan Bennett & Italia Ricci Dodge Matchmakers in Single at the Wedding
Also revealed during the TCA panel, Jonathan Bennett (A Keller Christmas Vacation, General Hospital) and Italia Ricci (Tracker, Catch Me if You Claus) light up the screen in Single at the Wedding (working title), which completed production last month.
Susie (Italia Ricci) has given up on dating, while Alec (Jonathan Bennett) remains a hopeless romantic—though both longtime best friends have struck out looking for the right man. After attending their twentieth wedding together as each other’s plus-one, they vow to take a break from weddings and romance altogether.
That break is instantly shattered when Susie’s sister plans a last-minute Christmas wedding. Dragging Alec along as her date, the duo attempts to survive the week as the sole single guests while dodging aggressive family matchmaking. Along the way, holiday duties and family moments force both friends to rethink their views on love—leading to unexpected romantic awakenings for both.
Which of these newly announced holiday movies are you most excited to watch this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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