Business for Northern Ontario’s lucrative film and television sector will continue to be brisk with a new $150-million, 25-picture deal between Hideaway Pictures and the Motion Picture Corporation of America.
The deal was announced late last night.
The agreement will see 25 movies and one television series be produced in Ontario.
It is the second contract between the two companies. The previous $100-million, 25-picture deal resulted in several popular productions, including the Brooke Shields vehicle “Flower Shop Mysteries”, “Crossword Mysteries” starring Lacy Chabert and the popular Hallmark broadcast series, “When Hope Calls”.
The partnership also resulted in several Netflix productions, including “The Knight Before Christmas” starring Vanessa Hudgens and “The Holiday Calendar” starring Kat Graham, as well as multiple Christmas-themed movies for CBS, Lifetime, the Hallmark Channel, GAC Family, Peacock, and Amazon/IMDBTV.
David Anselmo, the president of production at Hideaway Pictures, the largest production company in Northern Ontario, said he is excited to be able to ensure the North’s film sector, and the hundreds of people it employs, remains healthy.
“I love living and working in Northern Ontario,” Anselmo said in a news release. “It has been truly an honour helping to showcase the region to the world through our stories. I had to move away to pursue my dreams, but now that I’m back, I hope I can create more opportunities for Northerners to stay local and work in this wonderful industry.”
Launched in 2012, Hideaway Pictures has spent $100 million producing films and TV shows in Ontario through its partnership with MPCA. In terms of numbers, that translates into two million hours of work for film professionals in the North, and 1,200 full-time equivalent jobs, the companies report.
“For ‘When Hope Calls’ Season 1, production created a permanent, $2-million, turn-of-the-century studio backlot in Powassan (as reported here), during the winter of 2019, generating over 1,000 days of construction in the span of 12 weeks,” Hideaway stated in a news release. “This studio backlot is the largest in Northern Ontario, and has attracted multiple other productions to the region since.”
Sticking with the numbers, at the helm of Hideaway, Anselmo has produced more than 60 film and television projects in Northern Ontario. The studio he founded at an unused arena in New Sudbury — Northern Ontario Film Studios — provided the bedrock upon which the North’s film and TV sector has grown. Through Hideaway Pictures, Anselmo’s productions have attracted more than $200,000,000 in economic development to the region over the last decade.
In 2021 alone, Hideaway and MPCA produced seven original movies in Ontario, including the much anticipated second season of “When Hope Calls,” which launches Dec. 18. The second season also marks the return to the screen of actor Lori Loughlin.
MPCA‘s Brad Krevoy will serve as executive producer in this deal, alongside Anselmo. Krevoy has worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including the Farrelly Brothers, Jim Carrey, Will Ferrell, Reese Witherspoon and Paul Rudd, producing nearly 250 movies totalling more than US$1 billion in worldwide revenue.
It seems as though the holiday season comes earlier each year. In the North Bayarea, Christmas can come as early as March and as late as October. But how, you may ask? It’s thanks to the booming film and television industry in the region.
Although the city of North Bay has been welcoming film and television productions since 2009, over the last few years we’ve seen an increasing number of Christmas-themed productions filmed here. In fact, a whopping fifteen holiday pictures, often made for Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas series, have been shot in and around North Bay recently. With our historic downtown, beautiful shops, cathedrals, and scenic waterfront, it’s easy to see why movie producers are flocking to North Bay! If you’re lucky, you may bump into some of your favourite Hallmark Channel characters in and around town–like actress Jen Lilley, who was spotted exploring North Bay with her sister on her last film shoot.
Here are the top 10 spots around North Bay where you can check out the locations of your favourite Christmas films.
Producers are attracted to the city’s downtown core, more specifically the Main Street West area where historic buildings are easily transformed into specialty boutiques and shops. The vibrant downtown showcases a special “small-town” main street vibe. When those stores are dressed for Christmas it immediately transports viewers to their own childhood. Specifically, the morning after Santa leaves you presents during the night: your eyes are shining under the tree lights, gathering with your family, opening gifts, singing carols, happy and carefree–full of the Christmas Spirit.
Still from Ernie Barbarash, Christmas Inheritance
You can catch these colourful downtown buildings in the following films: Christmas Inheritance (2017); Christmas in Angel Falls (2017); Return to Christmas Creek (2018); Angel Falls: A Novel Christmas (2019); Christmas in Love(2018); Last Chance for Christmas (2015); and Northern Lights of Christmas (2018). When you are exploring this location be sure to stop into all the fantastic shops along the way.
Located at 164 Main St West, the Opera Bakery Café has been used in 3 films as of late. The local favourite starred in Return to Christmas Creek as Pamela’s (played by Kari Matchett) restaurant. In Christmas in Angel Falls, the café is owned by couple Stan and Barbara Wilson. The restaurant also appears in the semi-sequel Angel Falls: A Novel Holiday. Take a seat, enjoy a coffee, and taste some of their famous desserts.
Located a short walk west of the cafe is the historic Capitol Centre, North Bay’s performance centre for arts and entertainment. One of the last theatres left from the 1920s, the Capitol Centre is a hub for the arts that hosts local, national, and international artists such as North Bay’s own Cory Marks, and is also home to the North Bay Symphony Orchestra. In A Veteran’s Christmas, which was shot in Huntsville and North Bay, Joe’s niece stars in the town Christmas play and yes, you’ve guessed it, this was filmed at the Capitol Centre.
About a three-minute walk from the Capitol Centre lives the North Bay Museumand the Jack Burrows Plaza. The museum has been used as multiple locations in many Christmas films. In the photo above, the museum played stand in for a bus terminal in both Christmas Inheritance and again in Christmas in Angel Falls. For the semi-sequel, Angel Falls: A Novel Holiday, this plaza transforms into the hub for all town holiday activities. Return to Christmas Creek uses this space for character Mike Ruggles’ (portrayed by Stephen Huszar) toy drive. Most recently it was transformed into a Christmas market for actors Rachel Boston and Neal Bledsoe’s characters in the upcoming TV movie A Christmas Carousel. https://www.instagram.com/p/CGyS588pMdX/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=13&wp=1080&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.northernontario.travel&rp=%2Fnorth-bay%2Ftop-10-christmas-movie-hot-spots-in-north-bay%3Futm_campaign%3D2020-DNO-n0rb8y-top-10-christmas-movie-hot-spots-campaign–%26utm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook–no-boost%26utm_term%3Dstart11252020#%7B%22ci%22%3A1%2C%22os%22%3A2778%2C%22ls%22%3A1614%2C%22le%22%3A1653%7D
Take a trip in the summer months to visit the local award-winning Farmers’ Market in the plaza. Then hop into the museum to learn about the history of North Bay from the fur trade to the military to the lumber industry to the railways. Then, on the second floor, compare the Main Street of today versus the Main Street of yesteryear with the permanent immersive exhibit about North Bay Main Streets from the 1920s–1940s.
5. Oak Street West
Still from Mark Jean, A Veteran’s Christmas
The downtown scenes in A Veteran’s Christmas are split between North Bay and Huntsville (only an hour and 20 minutes away). If you want to walk where Grace and Joe do, stroll down Oak Street West, you can stop into one of the shops or spas. If you are starting to get a little hungry stop in at Lou Dawg’s for some southern bbq eats.
Located at 480 McIntyre West you will find a picturesque location that is used as a backdrop in many holiday films. The cornerstone of the Pro-Cathedral was laid in June of 1904 and since then, this historic limestone building has been one of the most recognized in North Bay. It’s because of this that both Angel Falls movies have used aerial shots of North Bay with the Pro-Cathedral as a focal point for establishing scenes and transitions. The back half of the building, dubbed The Bishop’s Palace, was used in Christmas Inheritance as a centre for the silent auction and a dinner with Santa that the folks of Snow Falls were putting together. A recent restoration of the surrounding area allows people to rest their feet at one of the benches and take in the beautiful scenery, including Richard’s Fountain.
If you want to visit the restaurant that many of the White Deer residents in Christmas In Love flock to, check out North Star Diner on 348 Algonquin Avenue. This quaint café has also been featured in Christmas Inheritance, Northern Lights of Christmas, and A Veteran’s Christmas–those red stools are hard to miss! At North Star Diner, they serve locally inspired plant-based edibles so it’s safe for vegans and meat-eaters alike (at time of writing, the diner is temporarily closed due to Covid-19).
Christmas In Angel Falls features several waterfront scenes that include North Bay’s local cruise ship. In fact, you can spot the Chief Commanda II in one scene (shown below). This 320-passenger, all-aluminum twin-hull vessel features 3 decks, 2 bars, handicap accessible washrooms, a snack bar, and an open-air BBQ. In the summer months, visitors can choose from five cruise options on Lake Nipissing and the French River, the shortest being 1.5 hours and the longest at 4.5 hours. Bring your camera to snap the scenic landscapes and your comfiest shoes for the live music that will have you dancing the cruise away.
Still from Bradley Walsh, Christmas in Angel Falls
Just before King’s Landing, you’ll notice a green park space with a bandshell. This is the Kiwanis Bandshell–often used by local musicians and starting places for fundraisers. For Christmas In Love, this area was transformed for the White Deer Christmas Festival! The photo below is a behind the scenes peek–you can see how much goes into making a holiday film!
Again in A Veteran’s Christmas, the town’s holiday festival is truly a magical place. Characters Joe and Grace spend a romantic ride on a carousel. This is North Bay’s own Winter Wonderland Carousel located on the waterfront. The two leads sit in Santa’s sleigh, and viewers can spot a mountain lion and a chipmunk in the back. These creatures represent the ones found in our Northern Ontario rivers, lakes, and forests and were carved and painted by local artists. Hop on and enjoy your own winter carousel ride! (at time of writing, the carousel is temporarily closed due to Covid-19).
Still from Bradley Walsh, Christmas in Angel Falls
St. Andrew’s United Church plays a large role in Christmas In Angel Falls. Gabby Messenger (Rachel Boston) becomes the new volunteer coordinator at St. Andrew’s (the name is kept in the movie) and hopes that will help with her overall mission to bring back the holiday spirit to Angel Falls. St. Andrew’s as it stands now was built in 1904 and has had various additions added on throughout the years. A large section, 16 to 20 feet, of the bell tower is being demolished and will eventually be replaced with an illuminated spire. This church is LGBTQ+ friendly and states that they take social justice issues to heart.
195 REGINA STREET
Originally built in 1908, 195 Regina Street (formerly the Ontario Northland Railway Offices) has been used for two Christmas movies so far. In Christmas in Angel Falls, this building was transformed into the closed community centre. Gabby Messenger (Rachel Boston) is determined that the Angel Falls community centre must be reopened in time for the holidays. For Christmas In Love, it was used for the exterior of the Carlingson Bakery office in White Deer. When you come to visit, you may notice that the factory is missing–don’t worry you’re not in the wrong place, that factory was digitally added!
Used as a true turning point for one of the characters in Christmas Inheritance, the Green Store became a bus terminal in the film–producers even created a gas station to complete the effect. In reality, the Green Store is a lovely shop for giftware, gourmet preserves, and home décor. What they are most known for in the area is their ice cream parlour and homemade fudge. Come for a little shopping, some ice cream, and enjoy the view of Trout Lake from the decks.
THE FUTURE
Despite the pandemic, North Bay’s film industry is still going strong. When you arrive in North Bay, be sure to check out these spots, you never know who you might bump into.
Be sure to keep an eye out this holiday season for the December 19 premiere of A Christmas Carouselon the Hallmark Channel and the Women’s Network.
Former Hallmark Channel head Bill Abbott’s new company GAC Media has reached a distribution deal with Frndly TV, giving cable channels GAC Family and GAC Living more than 400,000 additional streaming subscribers looking for wholesome programming just in time for the start of the all-important holiday season.
Frndly TV is a virtual multichannel video programming distributor (vMVPD) that focuses on providing wholesome programming at a low price.
“After GAC Media acquired Great American Country and Ride TV, we immediately began discussions about adding these channels to our lineup,” said Michael McKenna, chief programming officer of Frndly TV. “They shared with us their vision of the two channels moving forward. With that vision in mind, we felt the newly branded GAC Family and GAC Living would be a nice fit to our offering. We are very pleased to have these two GAC Media channels become part of the Frndly TV family.”
Frndly subscribers on social media began asking for GAC Family and GAC Living shortly after their family friendly rebrands were announced.
Abbott, backed by Hicks Equity Partners, has been following the successful Hallmark Channel model since acquiring the cable channels in June. This new carriage agreement comes at a key time for GAC. It means that more people will be able to see the expansive slate of holiday movies the companies will present under its Great American Christmas banner. With its focus on yuletide programming, GAC, like Hallmark, will probably see its best ratings and strongest advertising revenues in the fourth quarter.
GAC plans to premiere holiday films every Saturday night beginning Oct. 30 through Christmas. The slate will be heralded in a special premiering this Saturday and running again Oct. 24 hosted by Cameron Mathison and Debbie Matenopoulos, who, not coincidentally, hosted Hallmark Channel’s daytime show Home & Family when Abbott ran the network.
“GAC Family and GAC Living are the perfect fit for Frndly TV, who shares our passion for engaging and entertaining audiences nationwide with positive, family friendly programing,” said Erin McIlvain, chief officer, distribution and content strategy for GAC Media. “We’re thrilled to be launching on the popular service and look forward to providing GAC’s all-new movies, specials and unscripted programming to the Frndly audience.”
GAC Family and GAC Living launched on Sept. 27 as new brands with original programming slates. Under the tagline “Stories Well Told,” GAC Family features family-friendly, holiday-themed movies and series that celebrate American culture, lifestyle and heritage. GAC Living, tagged as “Life Well Lived,”is designed to complement GAC Family as an unscripted companion network celebrating Great American family friendly traditions.
Upcoming programming on GAC Family already announced includes A Kindhearted Christmas starring Cameron Mathison and Jennie Garth, and Royally Wrapped for Christmas, starring Jen Lilley and Brendan Fehr.
EXCLUSIVE: When Calls the Heart alum Daniel Lissing will reunite with his former co-star Lori Loughlin in the two-part Season 2 premiere of GAC Family spinoff When Hope Calls. When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas is slated to air on GAC Family on Saturday, Dec. 18. Lissing’s role is being kept under wraps for now. Created by Alfonsi H. Moreno, When Hope Calls is a historical drama series set in 1916 Brookfield, a fictional, small Western prairie town of largely cattle ranchers and farmers in an era where tradition sometimes conflicts with the ambitions of a growing city. Morgan Kohan returns in season two as Lillian Walsh, a former orphan who now runs the local orphanage and creates a loving, stable home for the children in her care. Ryan-James (RJ) Hatanaka returns as Mountie Gabriel Winslow. Wendy Crewson will return to star as Tess Stewart. Hanneke Talbot is Maggie Parson. Neil Crone is Ronnie Stewart. Jefferson Brown is Joe Moody.https://6041c815f45c99fa331322e8d3d5e2c0.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
Season 2 of When Hope Calls, whose first season aired as the first original on Hallmark Channel’s streaming service Hallmark Movies Now, marks the first original series for GAC Family. Series’ star Morgan Kohan is back, reprising her role as Lillian Walsh.
Following its debut on Hallmark Movies Now, When Hope Calls Season 1 also aired on the linear Hallmark Channel, with the premiere averaging 2 million total viewers.
Brad Krevoy, Brian Bird, Michael Landon, Jr., Alfonso H. Moreno, and David Anselmo executive produce When Hope CAlls. Producer is Kym Crepin. Supervising Producers are W. Michael Beard and Michael Shepard. Director is Bradley Walsh.
Lissing currently recurs on Fox’s The Cleaning Lady, and was recently seen on The Rookie and S.W.A.T. He’s repped by A3 Artists Agency, Silver Lining Entertainment and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher.
EXCLUSIVE: Lori Loughlin is returning to acting. The former When Calls the Heart star will reprise her popular character from the Hallmark Channel series, Abigail Stanton, on spinoff When Hope Calls, which is coming back for a second season on a new network, GAC Family. Loughlin will appear in the two-part Season 2 premiere titled When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas, slated to air on Saturday, Dec. 18.
“When Calls the Heart”Crown Media
Loughlin was last seen on TV as Abigail in Season 6 of Hallmark Channel’s hit series When Calls the Heart before she was let go over her involvement in the college admissions scandal. The actress, who is on probation after serving a two-month sentence, sparked speculation that she may be returning to work last week following a Mercury News report that she had been given permission by a Boston federal judge to travel to Canada for about a week in late September-early October for “a filming production project.”
Having Loughlin on board for the Season 2 premiere in her return to acting after a year and a half is certain to bring attention to When Hope Calls — as well as GAC Family, which launched yesterday, Sept. 27 with the tagline “Stories Well Told.” Formerly Great American Country, the newly rebranded channel is run by President & CEO Bill Abbott, former CEO of Hallmark Channel parent Crown Media Family Networks, who is taking a page out of his old playbook in shaping GAC Family’s brand as a home of family-friendly, holiday-themed movies and series.
Season 2 of When Hope Calls, whose first season aired as the first original on Hallmark Channel’s streaming service Hallmark Movies Now, marks the first original series for GAC Family. Series’ star Morgan Kohan is back, reprising her role as Lillian Walsh, with additional cast, believed to include RJ Hatanaka, to be announced soon.
“When Hope Calls”Hallmark Channel
When Hope Calls, which films in Ontario, Canada, is set in Brookfield, a town on the western prairie. In When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas, Part 1,Brookfield hosts a Christmas festival as one of three contenders in Harper’s Bazaar’s search for America’s #1 Country Christmas Town. The entire town is preoccupied with creating the essence of Christmas for the photojournalist’s lens, though, behind the scenes, residents are not living the spirit of the season. In the midst of the fuss, a stagecoach appears, and out steps Abigail Stanton and her son, Cody (Carter Ryan), who have brought a troubled boy to Lillian’s (Kohan) orphanage.
In When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas, Part 2, photojournalist Paul Franklin is wrapping his stay in Brookfield. By now, he blends in as the town prepares for Christmas Eve. Lillian, the orphans, and Gabriel (Hatanaka) are running out of options to restore the troubled boy’s hope for better times. Just when all seems lost, a secret Santa appears to fulfill all holiday wishes, and Abigail has a profound conversation with a dear friend from the past. Meanwhile, Paul’s lens is recording every miraculous moment.
Executive Producers of When Hope Calls are Brad Krevoy, Brian Bird, Michael Landon, Jr., Alfonso H. Moreno, Kaitlyn Greenough, and David Anselmo. Producer is Kym Crepin. Supervising Producers are W. Michael Beard and Michael Shepard. Director is Bradley Walsh. The spinoff series is created by Alfonso H. Moreno.
Following its debut on Hallmark Movies Now, When Hope Calls Season 1 also aired on the linear Hallmark Channel, with the premiere averaging 2 million total viewers.
With backing from investors, Abbott acquired the Great American Country network, a staple of country music fans, from Discovery, in June, along with Ride TV, a 24-hour, high-definition network for equestrian sports, culture and lifestyle. The Great American Country network has been rebranded as GAC Family, while Ride TV is becoming GAC Living, a non-scripted companion network.
Abbott, who ran Hallmark Channel’s parent company for 11 years before his January 2020 exit amid controversy, is taking on his former network with GAC Family, which is not only featuring similar programming but also some of the same talent. GAC Family will kick off its holiday lineup on Oct. 24, with a special, Welcome to Great American Christmas hosted by Debbie Matenopoulos and Cameron Mathison, former hosts of Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family. The upstart network also has on tap nine holiday movies, including The Great Christmas Switch, Royally Wrapped for Christmas and Christmas is You, with more on the way.
Loughlin, who also exited Netflix’s Fuller House in the wake of the college admissions scandal, is making a return to the spotlight alongside her daughter, Olivia Jade, who is on the current season of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars.
“When Lila is hired by the Royal Family of Ancadia to restore their carousel as a surprise present for the prince’s niece, she works with him side-by-side to complete it by Christmas. Along the way, they learn they’re more similar than they would have thought and also help each other realize the path in life their hearts want them to follow,” says the preview.
Much of the movie was shot at the Heritage Carousel on North Bay’s waterfront.
It’s A Wonderful Lifetime” continues with the premiere of the newest holiday film, “Too Close For Christmas,” starring Jessica Lowndes and Chad Michael Murray.
Fans likely recognize Lowndes, who is most recognizable for her role as Adrianna on “90210,” but also starred in the 2019 Lifetime film “Rediscovering Christmas.” She has also starred or had roles in Hallmark Channel films including “Over The Moon in Love,” “Christmas at Pemberley Manor,” “Yes, I Do,” “A December Bride” and “Merry Matrimony.” She also starred in the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries film “The Magical Christmas Ornaments.”
As for Murray, he is certainly recognized for his role as Lucas Scott on “One Tree Hill,” but this will be his first Lifetime film. His previous holiday movies included Hallmark Channel’s “Write Before Christmas” and “Road to Christmas,” and he also appeared in the non-holiday titles “Love in Winterland” and “The Beach House.”
So what will happen when these two former CW stars team up? According to a synopsis, first impressions may lead to new beginnings.
“When Hayley (Lowndes) accepts an invitation to spend Christmas with her sister’s new in-laws, her seemingly perfect holiday takes a turn when Luke (Murray), Hayley’s brother-in-law’s brother, unexpectedly shows up,” the synopsis reads.
Things start rough, but quickly start to change as the two are forced to spend more time together as the holiday season continues.
“Still harboring a grudge against Luke for ending her last relationship, Hayley reluctantly spends time with Luke and slowly realized she may have been too quick a judge on Luke,” the synopsis continues.
Will Hayley find that Luke’s previous meddling is a good thing?
“Too Close For Christmas” premieres Friday, Dec. 4 at 8 p.m. EST on Lifetime.
Right outside of Quebec sits a small city that just so happens to be the background to a lot of Hallmark and Netflix Christmas movies. If I’m being completely honest, I hate the winter. It’s cold, I constantly find myself slipping on patches of ice, and my cute outfits are always covered by a big winter jacket. However, the one thing even I can admit about the winters in Eastern Canada is its incredible romance.
This city in Ontario called North Bay, which is right across the Quebec border, is where a lot of the cheesy yet addictive Hallmark Christmas movies are filmed. So, this year, instead of sitting inside, watching one of the films on your couch, why not go out and take this cinematic scenery in for yourself?
Some of the most loved Hallmark originals like Christmas in Love, Christmas With Tucker, Christmas In Angel Falls, The Holiday Calendar, and A Song For Christmas have been filmed in the small and charming city, and once you lay your eyes on it, you’ll know exactly why it’s such a film destination.
Although Hallmark movies make up perhaps the majority of Christmas cliché films, other, non-Hallmark films also made use of North Bay. The Christmas Inheritance and Love On Ice both have scenes that were filmed in this quaint city.
North Bay not only makes for a picture-perfect movie setting but also a pretty romantic weekend with the one you love.
According to the municipal website, the city is a wintertime sports destination with a “vibrant” downtown that “offers one of a kind shops, restaurants, and cafés.”
Getting there from Montreal involves a 6-hour drive, which may seem like a long commute if you don’t like driving in the winter.
But, there are also trains that go from Montreal to North Bay via Toronto, so you don’t need to worry about those slippery roads.
Christmas is proposal season and what could be more romantic than asking the love of your life to marry you right in the heart of a corny Hallmark movie?
But no worries if you’re not at the marriage stage yet, it’s also just a lovely place to explore with anyone whose company you enjoy!
Netflix has released first look photos at its upcoming sci-fi series V Wars, which stars Vampire Diaries alum Ian Somerhalder. In the series, which is based on the best-selling books of the same name by writer Jonathan Maberry, Somerhalder plays Dr. Luther Swann, a man forced to navigate a world of untold horror after a mysterious disease transforms his best friend, Michael Fayne (Adrian Holmes), into a murderous predator who feeds on other humans. (Spoiler: He’s a vampire.) And when that disease starts to spread, society begins to fracture, pitting normal people against the vamps. With Swann working to understand what’s going on, Fayne becomes the underground leader of the vampires.
V Wars comes from showrunners William Lauren and Glenn Davis and will contain 10 episodes in its first season. And now, we not only have new photos of the series, but we know it will hit Netflix on Dec. 5.
I demand you pause everything you’re doing and focus on the new Netflix Christmas movie starring Vanessa Hudgens. Sorry, The Princess Switch, you were so 2018. Hitting the streaming service on November 21, this holiday season is going to be all about The Knight Before Christmas, which is not a part of Tim Burton’s Night Before Christmas universe, but I wish it were.
Vanessa Hudgens and Josh Whitehouse star in the perfectly-titled holiday rom-com, The Knight Before Christmas. She plays a kind science teacher who has been disillusioned by love and he’s the cursed medieval knight she must help return to his time — FIRST LOOK:
Vanessa stars as “a kind science teacher who has been disillusioned by love.” Luckily, she meets a cursed medieval knight, played by Josh Whitehouse, who she must help return to his time. You know, as one does.
Honestly, I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life, and Twitter hasn’t either.
Who else is getting serious Enchanted vibes?! Personally, this checks off all my holiday movie boxes. A romantic ride on horseback? Check. Lacy red dress with matching lipstick? Check. Christmas lights and fake snow everywhere you look? Check and check. Hallmark is shaking.
If you don’t remember, last year, Vanessa starred in the delightful Netflix Christmas movie The Princess Switch as two different characters. Chicago native Stacy (Vanessa) is pushed into competing in a royal baking competition by her hot best friend. While setting up for Master Chef Belgravia, Stacy runs into Margaret, the Duchess of Montenaro (also Vanessa), who is in town getting to know her fiancé, a hot prince. The duchess wants to switch places for two days to see what it’s like to be a real girl. Can relate. And guess what? There’s going to be a sequel.
Next year, might I suggest High School Musical: Rocking Nativity Play? Vanessa might have to move to Disney + though.
