A new Hallmark movie starring Lacey Chabert is in production in Hawaii. Groundswell, which is based on the novel by Katie Lee Biegel, will premiere in August on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries.
“Aloha y’all!!!!” Biegel wrote in an Instagram post. “First day on set of Groundswell! Could not be more excited! Pinch me moment! @hallmarkchannel @hallmarkmovie.”
Chabert replied to the post with, “So happy you’re here!!!!!!”
Groundswell was Biegel’s first novel. The Food Network star published the book in 2021.
New Hallmark movie
According to a synopsis from the network, Chabert stars as Emma, an Atlanta-based chef who suffers a setback at work and decides to take some time off with a vacation in Hawaii. She meets a handsome surf instructor who helps her regain her confidence. The instructor will be played by Ektor Rivera, who starred in the 2021 Hallmark Christmas movie Sugar Plum Twist.
“I am a huge fan of Lacey’s movies, and she has been my dream choice to play Emma, from Day 1,” said Biegel in a statement to Deadline. “This project is close to my heart, and there is no one better to bring us along on Emma’s journey.”
A co-host of the Food Network series The Kitchen, Biegel has more than a million followers on Instagram. She lives in the Hamptons with her husband and her 20-month-old daughter, Iris.
Biegel began cooking at the age of 4 under the guidance of her grandmother. Her first cookbook, The Comfort Table, was released in 2008, soon followed by The Comfort Table: Recipes for Everyday Occasions (2009) and Endless Summer Cookbook (2015). Biegel sits on the Celebrity Board for Feeding America.
Culinary drama
Groundswell is Hallmark’s latest foray into the world of culinary drama. In February, the network debuted the rom-com Welcome to Mama’s, starring Lorraine Bracco and Melanie Scrofano as a woman trying to restore her family’s restaurant to its former glory.
In April, Hallmark Movies and Mysteries debuted Curious Caterer: Dying For Chocolate, a mystery starring Nikki DeLoach as a crime-solving chef, and Always Amore, starring Autumn Reeser as a widow trying to keep her late husband’s restaurant in business.
Groundswell will premiere on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries on August 21.