Countdown to Christmas may still be in full swing, but Hallmark has already announced the first 2023 Christmas movie in its lineup.
A Biltmore Christmas will premiere in the 2023 holiday season and will star Bethany Joy Lenz and Kristoffer Polaha. The romantic comedy will begin filming in January 2023 at the historic Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.
A network executive said the landmark will be the perfect backdrop to a Christmas romance.
“Each year we look for ways to create exciting, new holiday viewing experiences for our audience,” said Samantha DiPippo, senior vice president of Development and Programming at Hallmark Media. “We know fans will love being transported back in time and the iconic, beautiful Biltmore Estate is the perfect setting to help fans get into the holiday spirit.”
2023 Christmas movie
In A Biltmore Christmas, Bethany Joy Lenz plays Lucy, a screenwriter who lands the job of a lifetime when she’s hired to write the script for a remake of the beloved holiday movie His Merry Bride!
First filmed in 1947 at beautiful Biltmore House, it has long been considered a Christmas classic. As Christmas approaches, Lucy travels to Biltmore Estate for research. She joins a guided tour of the grounds where she gets insights into the history of the location and the filming of His Merry Bride!
She finds herself drawn to a beautiful hourglass on display. When Lucy accidentally knocks it over, she finds herself transported back in time to 1946 as the cast and crew prepare to film His Merry Bride! at Biltmore. Lucy does her best to navigate an unfamiliar place as a woman out of time, charming some and raising suspicions of others.
According to Hallmark, “It’s not long before Lucy catches the eye of the film’s dashing lead Jack Huston (Polaha) and although she initially rebuffs his advances, their connection soon becomes undeniable.” Lucy’s sudden appearance sets off a chain of events that put the production in jeopardy. Before she can return to the present, she must make things right or threaten to alter the future forever. Lucy has one chance to go home but must say goodbye to the man who might be her soulmate unless some Christmas magic can keep the curtain from closing on their love story.
Countdown to Christmas
Hallmark’s annual Christmas movie marathon has once again proved a ratings boon for the company, with the network topping TV ratings for eight straight weeks. Christmas programming on Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies and Mysteries attracted more than 36.5 million unduplicated viewers, according to numbers released by Nielsen.
