(left) Brooke D’Orsay, (right) Trevor Donovan | Photos: Crown Media

According to an exclusive report from IBTimes.com, Brooke D’Orsay and Trevor Donovan are returning to Hallmark this Christmas with a new movie, “The House of Wooden Santas” (w/t) — based off of the 1997 novel by Kevin Major, set to premiere during the Countdown to Christmas lineup.

— Updated 07/26/2019: This movie has officially been named “Nostalgic Christmas”! —

Synopsis: “This Christmas, the miracles of the season take the form of sentimental, handcrafted wooden Santas in a small town toy store in North Bay, Maine. Anne Garrison (D’Orsay) seemed to have it all as a driven toy buyer in New York City, but her father’s retirement signaling the closing of the town’s beloved toy store brings the city girl back to her small town roots and perhaps her lost Christmas spirit in the process. While back in town she meets handsome widower, doting father and local mill manager, Keith McClain (Donovan).

Through an unexpected turn of events Anne and Keith find themselves planning the town’s annual Christmas festivities together. How did that even happen? The way it happened doesn’t really make a difference when sparks begin to fly between them. And as Anne’s heart begins to open to Keith and the small town sentimentality that she left behind, Anne has some tough decisions to make.  Once the holidays are over, will she head back to her life in New York, or will she stay in North Bay and take a chance on a new life with a new love?”

Campo and Harrison in a scene from CHRISTMAS CAMP. | Photo: Crown Media

We’re getting closer and closer to Christmas in July, and to celebrate that fact, I have some news about not one, but two movie premieres to expect on the Hallmark networks next month!

“Christmas Camp” starring Lily Anne Harrison and Bobby Campo will premiere on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries during Gold Crown Christmas on Sunday, July 7th Thursday, July 11th at 9pm/8c.

Synopsis: An advertising exec (Harrison) must bring in a new account — a traditional toy company. To learn more about the holiday and its traditions, she attends a ‘Christmas Camp,’ where she crosses paths with the camp owner’s son (Campo), who teaches her about other stuff, too, like love.

(Left) Lee Norris, Tyler Hilton, Hilarie Burton, Megan Park & Colin Fickes. (Right) Barbara Alyn Woods & Antwon Tanner on set.
Photos: Instagram

Last month I told you about Hilarie Burton reuniting, once again, with her former “One Tree Hill” costar Tyler Hilton and his real life wife Megan Park for another Lifetime Christmas movie called “A Christmas Wish”, and now I’m happy to now report that, just like last year, several former OTH cast members have jumped aboard the project, which creates another exciting mini reunion project.

Antwon Tanner, who played Antwon ‘Skills’ Taylor on the long-running drama, and co-starred in last year’s “The Christmas Contract”, has joined the film as well as Lee Norris, Barbara Alyn Woods, and Colin Fickes who starred as Marvin ‘Mouth’ McFadden, Deb Scott and Jimmy Edwards on ‘Tree Hill’, respectively.  I sure hope this is becoming a holiday tradition for this tight-knit crew!

According to Deadline, Freeform has announced an upcoming Christmas competition series “Wrap Battle”, which will be added to their 2019 holiday programming, 25 Days of Christmas.

In a holiday series showdown like no other, which is executive produced by Michael Levitt, the most gifted DIY-ers will be put to the test. In the elimination gift-wrapping competition, contestants battle it out to deliver amazing results in different challenges in every episode, with each vying to win $50,000. Get your scissors and two-sided tape ready, let’s get wrapping!

A casting call recently went out (see below) so, if you think you have what it takes to compete in the ultimate holiday gift wrap battle, then you might want to sign up!

Graham and Ludwig on set of OPERATION CHRISTMAS DROP. | Photo: Kat Graham’s Official Instagram

Today, Netflix’s official See What’s Next Twitter account announced that Kat Graham and Alexander Ludwig have teamed up for a brand new movie that’s coming to the streaming service in 2020.

Graham and Ludwig will co-lead “Operation Christmas Drop”, named after the Christmastime airlift partly conducted from Andersen Air Force Base, as as a congressional aide and a U.S. Air Force captain who clash when she’s asked to shut down the tropical U.S. Air Force base he calls home.

For a little bit of background on what Operation Christmas Drop means; it’s a tradition that serves as a training mission for the U.S. Air Force which started in 1952. It has since become the longest running U.S. Department of Defense mission in full operation, and the longest running humanitarian airlift in the world. Supported by the local communities of Guam, it is primarily conducted from Andersen Air Force Base and Yokota Air Base, and targets Micronesia. (Source: Wikipedia)

I’ll keep you posted on more information as we get closer to the release.

Stay merry!

Photos: A&E Networks/Crown Media

I love Christmas surprises in May, especially when it’s as fun as this one!

Hilarie Burton revealed on her Instagram yesterday that she’s working on another Christmas movie for the Lifetime network, titled “A Christmas Wish”, with her friends Tyler Hilton and Megan Park.

It’s actually another mini “One Tree Hill” reunion; Burton and Hilton starred as Peyton Sawyer and Chris Keller, respectively, on the former long-running hit drama. Last year the two co-starred in Lifetime’s “The Christmas Contract”, which featured many more of their former OTH co-stars.

It was quite the holiday treat!

Pictured: Melissa Joan Hart and Deanne Foley. | Photo: Instagram

Melissa Joan Hart announced on her Instagram yesterday (see below) that she had wrapped filming on another Lifetime holiday movie, “Christmas Reservations”, in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. I don’t know the plot yet, but MJH mentioned that it was produced by HartBreak Films — a production company that she owns with her mother, Paula Hart.

The film is directed by Deanne Foley and also stars Michael Gross, Markie Post, Ted McGinley and Ricardo A. Chavira. I’m sure we’ll get some more information on the project soon, and we can expect to see it this holiday season when it premieres during the It’s a Wonderful Lifetime programming, beginning after Thanksgiving.

(left) Ryan Cooper, (right) Katie Leclerc | Photos: Headshots via IMdb

For the past few weeks, Ryan Cooper and Katie Leclerc have been in Massachusetts filming an upcoming Christmas movie titled “A Sweet Romance”. Cooper and Leclerc will play Charlie Blanchard and Emily White, respectively, in the holiday rom-com about raising money through an ice cream flavor contest (‘Christmas a la mode’, anyone?) to save a family farm.

Photos: Crown Media

Lacey Chabert and Sam Page are returning to Hallmark this holiday season!

EW reported today that the two are teaming up for “Christmas in Rome”, set to film partially in Italy.

Chabert plays the role of Angela, an independent-minded American tour guide who is fired from her job in Rome just before Christmas and ends up crossing paths with Oliver (Page), an American executive, who wants to buy a high-end Italian ceramics company. In true Hallmark holiday movie style, Oliver hires Angela to be his guide around the city because the owner of the company won’t sell to him until he learns “the heart and soul of Rome”.

But, Oliver might just win the heart of more than just Rome.

Just like Candace Cameron Bure, this will be Chabert’s 8th Christmas movie with the network, but we’ll have to wait until Hallmark kicks off the 10th anniversary of their epic Countdown to Christmas programming event later this year to see “Christmas in Rome”.

Between both the Hallmark Channel and its sister channel Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, we can expect 40 new movies to roll out this Christmas. However, knowing their jolly history, we could end up with even more! I’m so excited!

Stay merry!

Photos: Freeform and Rankin/Bass Productions

For the first time ever on cable, Freeform will air the beloved classics “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Frosty the Snowman” this holiday season during the annual “25 Days of Christmas” programming event.

These iconic fan-favorites, from the Rankin Bass classic holiday library, were highly requested last year, so they will be a nice addition to the other titles “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town” and “The Little Drummer Boy”, which have aired during previous years.

Freeform’s 25 Days of Christmas begins December 1st!

Stay merry!