The new Hallmark movie Family History Mysteries: Buried Past will premiere this weekend as part of the January lineup on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries. The film stars Janel Parrish and Niall Matter and offers a new twist on the typical whodunit-cozy-mystery typically featured on the network. In this movie, the detective must solve a mystery to keep a man alive.
New Hallmark movie
In Family History Mysteries: Buried Past, Parrish stars as Sophie McClaren, a genealogist who is an expert at digging up the past and bringing families together. When her friend Jonathan (played by Morgan David Jones) urgently needs to find a bone marrow donor, it brings his twin brother (and Sophie’s old flame) Jackson (Niall Matter) back into her life. With Jackson’s help, Sophie must use her skills to track down the brothers’ long-lost birth father, a man they never even knew existed, in time to save Jonathan’s life. Ultimately, growing closer to Jackson on this search gives Sophie the push to finally explore the mystery of her own adoption.
The movie is based loosely on the Family History Mystery book series by author Brynn Bonner. It is being produced by Hallmark star Nikki DeLoach.
About the cast
Janel Parrish starred in movies for the Disney Channel and appeared in the TV shows Zoey 101, Pretty Little Liars, and Magnum, PI. She made her Hallmark debut in the 2020 Christmas drama Holly & Ivy. In an interview to promote the movie, she said her mother was thrilled that she was working with Hallmark.
“My mom is Hallmark Christmas movies’ No. 1 fan,” she told Entertainment Tonight. “It’s on all day, every day, no matter what we’re doing. She’d always ask me, ‘When are you going to do one?’ I’d said, ‘Whenever they call me, I will do one.’ So she’s over the moon about me doing this movie.”
She also starred in the 2021 Countdown to Christmas movie Coyote Christmas alongside Ryan Paevey.
Niall Matter has appeared in the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries as Nick Miller. He also starred in the Hallmark Channel movies Stop the Wedding with Alan Thicke and Rachel Boston and Frozen in Love”with Rachael Leigh Cook. On Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, Matter played Ian in Finding Father Christmas, Engaging Father Christmas, and Marrying Father Christmas.
Canceled mystery series
In the past two years, Hallmark has canceled three of its mystery series. The stars of the Hailey Dean, Picture Perfect, and Matchmaker Mysteries series told fans on social media that Hallmark wouldn’t be making any more of these movies.
“Just found out that Hailey Dean is done at Hallmark,” Kellie Martin wrote on Twitter. “Really sad and sorry to report.
Danica McKellar, who stars in the Matchmaker Mysteries series, broke the news in response to a fan asking when the next movie was coming out.
Alexa PenaVega let fans know about the Picture Perfect series in a post on her Instagram stories. When a fan asked if another movie would be coming out, she said no.
“Sadly, no,” she said. “The mysteries have come to an end. But it was so much fun, such a good run, and we’re really proud of what we made.”
New mysteries
Hallmark has introduced several new mysteries this year, including Cut, Color, Murder, starring Julie and Ryan McPartlin; Francesca Quinn, PI, starring Mallory Jansen and Dylan Bruce; Nikki & Nora: Sister Sleuths, starring Hunter King and Rhiannon Fish; and Curious Caterer: Dying For Chocolate, starring Andrew Walker and Nikki DeLoach.
Family History Mysteries: Buried Past will premiere on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries on Sunday, January 8 at 7/6c.
