For years, the Hallmark Channel pretty much held the monopoly on heart-warming Christmas movies.
No longer. These days, Hallmark is facing increasingly steep competition from rival Great American Media and its family of channels, offering up its own Christmas-themed rom-coms — many of which feature fan-favorite actors who’ve previously starred in Hallmark productions.
Meanwhile, another media entity is entering the yuletide arena.
Christmas with Roku
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Roku Channel is now getting in on the action.
Per THR, the Roku Channel confirmed the addition of two new original holiday films set to debut later this year during the Christmas season: “Second Chance Holiday” starring Ayesha Curry and Matthew Daddario; and “The Holiday Spark” starring former “Bachelor” lead Joey Graziadei alongside Jamie Chung.
‘Second Chance Holiday’
In the first film, Curry — who is also the wife of NBA superstar Steph Curry — stars as dating expert Chelsey, who is determined to break her so-called “curse” of always getting dumped during the holiday season.
“But when fate reunites her with a former flame from high school, played by Daddario, she wonders if her bad luck might just be the universe’s way of leading her back to first love,” notes THR’s description of the upcoming movie.
‘The Holiday Spark’
Meahwhile, “The Holiday Spark” casts the former Bachelor as Dean, a perpetually single firefighter. Eager to host a big holiday blowout at his firehouse, he enlists a children’s book illustrator named Laura (portrayed by Chung) to help plan an epic yuletide soiree.
This causes a predictable scenario to unfold. “Throughout the planning process,” notes THR, “they begin to question their views on romance and the possibility of love at first spark.”
Curry’s First Starring Role
As The Hollywood Reporter points out, Curry has appeared in many films and TV series, but “Second Chance Holiday” represents her first time in the leading role.
“It’s an honor to be part of ‘Second Chance Holiday’ alongside such a talented cast and crew,” Curry said in a statement.
“There’s something truly magical about holiday rom-coms,” she added. “They invite you into these charming, cozy worlds where anything feels possible. Chelsey is such a fun, heartfelt character that I fell in love with while bringing her to life. I hope audiences fall in love with her too and enjoy Second Chance Holiday this holiday season.”
Joey Graziadei’s Acting Debut
For Bachelor Nation fan favorite Graziadei, “The Holiday Spark” marks his acting debut.
It’s a natural progression for Graziadei, who first came to attention as a runner-up on Season 20 of “The Bachelorette” before being tapped to be the leading man for Season 28 of “The Bachelor.”
That led to a slot on Season 33 of “Dancing With the Stars,” where he danced off as that season’s winner of the mirrorball trophy.
“Acting in my first feature film has been a dream come true and such an exciting next chapter for me,” said Graziadei in a statement.
“‘The Holiday Spark’ is filled with so much heart, and I feel incredibly lucky that this is the project I get to make my debut with. Working alongside Jamie and our talented cast and crew was an amazing experience. I learned so much. I can’t wait for audiences to fall in love with this story and kick off the holiday season with us.”
