The Hallmark Channel is headed to Britain this Christmas for a jolly holiday.
The network has cast Will Kemp (“The Christmas Waltz”) and Reshma Shetty (“Blind Spot”) in its upcoming original movie “Jolly Good Christmas,” which will premiere during its annual Countdown to Christmas programming event.
The movie was shot entirely on location, from residential areas in the north west of the city to Piccadilly Circus, and promises lots of glimpses of iconic London landmarks. In a first-look image shared with Variety, Kemp and Shetty can be see standing on the banks of the River Thames romantically looking into each other’s eyes.
In the film, Kemp plays David, an American architect who relocates across the pond to take up a job at a prestigious London firm. As the clock counts down to Christmas Day, David is running out of time to buy his girlfriend – who also happens to be his boss’s daughter – a thoughtful present so he resorts to buying her a somewhat uninspired gift card. Professional shopper Anji (Shetty) raises an eyebrow when she bumps into David and his lacklustre gift so when the duo cross paths again he enlists her to help him find the perfect present. Before long, the duo set off on a “wild adventure across Jolly Old London” as they navigate a series of unexpected events on their search for the ideal gift.
Jonathan Wright directs from a script by Ron Oliver.
“We can’t wait to transport our viewers ‘across the pond’ for this special, holiday adventure,” said Samantha DiPippo, senior vice president for development and programming at Crown Media Family Networks, which owns the Hallmark Channel. “We’re thrilled to have been able to feature famous sites and set our story against the unique backdrop of London at Christmastime.”
The U.K. has long been a destination for holiday movies, from 2003’s “Love, Actually” starring Keira Knightley and Emma Thompson, now traditional festive viewing, through to last year’s Netflix original “A Castle for Christmas,” in which Brooke Shields plays a divorced author who relocates to Scotland for Hogmanay.
“Jolly Good Christmas” is co-produced by Leif Films Media and Movie House Entertainment. The movie is executive produced by Leif Bristow together with Jane Goldenring, Carol Baum and Danny Webber. Agnes Bristow and Borga Dorter produce while Mark Vennis is the U.K. co-producer.
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