On September 17, Hallmark Channel announced its exciting schedule of 34 new movies premiering during its 2026 Countdown to Christmas lineup, scheduled to kick off on October 16. But believe it or not, one of those movies hasn’t even been filmed yet!
Hallmark stars Benjamin Ayres and Torrey DeVitto will co-star in “Noelle Nomads,” a movie Ayres and fellow Hallmark fan-favorite Holland Roden have been working on for nearly two years as executive producers. During an Instagram Live on September 23, Ayres and Roden said they developed and pitched the idea to Hallmark two years ago. The concept came from Roden, who embraced a nomadic life for over a year, staying in a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter camper van during the pandemic and sharing her adventures.
With filming set to begin in Winnipeg on Friday, September 25, it’ll be a quick turnaround to get the movie on the air by its premiere date, December 13. But they are confident they can do it, and they want to bring fans along for the ride!
Benjamin Ayres Says He Feels ‘Pride’ as a First-Time Hallmark Producer Following Cast’s Script Read-Through
During their Instagram Live, the duo shared some fascinating details about what they’ve already learned as executive producers, working alongside seasoned producer Orly Adelson, who also worked closely with Tyler Hynes on the 2026 movie he developed from the star, “I’ll Be Seeing You.”
Roden and Ayres also vowed to give fans a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the filming process, inviting people to post questions and ideas in the comment section of the post (above). On most movies, Hallmark keeps cast details and storylines top secret until they’re officially announced, usually after filming has wrapped. But with ‘Noelle Nomads” already announced and on the schedule, that gives Ayres, DeVitto and Roden (who also has a role in the movie) a chance to share more than usual.
“We’ll show you some fun stuff without giving any spoilers away,” Ayres told fans. “You will see some fun RVs, you’re going to meet some of the cast … and we want to bring you along for the ride in a way we haven’t really gotten to do before.”
As first-time producers, Ayres and Roden have experienced elements of pre-production they’ve rarely been part of before. As an actor, Ayres said, “Usually, you’re showing up on Day One, and you’re seeing everything for the first time. It’s been a real pleasure to do the location scouting, be aware of it, be able to help in the casting of the other characters, shape the world in a way that I personally haven’t had the ability to do at Hallmark.”
“We pitched this idea a long time ago,” he continued. “We’ve seen the development of it, the drafts of the scripts, the input. It’s been such an exciting, interesting, unique, and great process.”
Noting that they did a read-through of the script with the cast earlier in the day, the “Hope Valley: 1874” star said, “It was a great victory, you know? It’s real. I know now that feeling of the pride you have in getting to bring all of these teams together to help bring a vision to life.”
The duo also talked about some of the everyday realities of their work as actors, from the routines they’ve developed each time they arrive in a new city to film (like getting groceries and finding their nearest gym) to making sure they have what they need to work in another country (for Roden, she’s traveling from her home in L.A. to Winnipeg, so her visa has to be current).
Roden, who will also star in “A Grand Biltmore Christmas” on December 5, laughed, “I’m telling you, all we (actors) talk about are taxes, layovers, visas.”
What is ‘Noelle Nomads’ About?
“Noelle Nomads” also has two other Hallmark pros on the project, with the script written by Marcy Holland, who’s written over a dozen Hallmark movies including “A Biltmore Christmas” and “The Christmas Quest,” and director Jeff Beesley, who’s been at the helm of many Hallmark movies since 2019.
According to Hallmark’s synopsis of “Noelle Nomads,” Ayres plays an “uptight sports medicine physician” named Joseph, who’s taking his daughter Annie, played by Kaelyn Yoon-MacRae, on a fancy Hawaiian holiday. But first, they have to stop at “a remote campground and deliver a package from his late father to a mysterious person named Birdie.” At a rest stop, Joseph accidentally crashes into an RV owned by DeVitto’s “free-spirited” character, Nora, which messes up their travel schedule.
“Things go from bad to worse when they not only fail to find the elusive Birdie, but their ancient Winnebago breaks down as well,” the synopsis continues. “Forced to spend the next few days at the campground while they wait for replacement parts, Nora introduces Joseph and Annie to the eccentric campers who lovingly dub themselves the Nomads. The embers of romance begin to glow as Nora shows Joseph how to embrace the freedom of camp life. When the mystery of who Birdie is becomes clearer and the much-awaited parts arrive allowing Joseph and Annie to finally make their Hawaiian getaway, Joseph must decide if leaving the campground and person who makes it feel more like home is in the plans.”
“Noelle Nomads” premieres on December 13 at 8 p.m. Eastern. Roden and Ayres will be sharing videos and insights from the filming on social media, including on Ayres’ Romance University account.
