The year 2020 hasn't exactly been great for most people, but the upcoming holiday season is set to be spectacular. How could it not when Hallmark Movies & Mysteries has plucked Days of our Lives star Drake Hogestyn (John Black) to star in one of its Christmas films?!
Hogestyn took to Instagram to share that he will be appearing alongside Alicia Witt and Andrew Walker the holly and jolly movie Christmas Tree Lane. While exciting in and of itself, Hogestyn's new gig is a huge deal because outside of a small role on Criminal Minds in 2018, the actor hasn't appeared as any other character besides John Black since his 1985 film Beverly Hills Cowgirl Blues!
"We were able to shoot #ChristmasTreeLane safely and it will be coming to your living room this holiday season!" he wrote. "Thankful for this incredible opportunity and can't wait for you all to see it."
Executive produced by Witt and featuring original songs written and sung by the actress, Christmas Tree Lane follows a talented pianist, singer, and songwriter named Meg Reilly (Witt) who no longer performs but shares her love of music with the voice students she teaches in the loft above her father's (Hogestyn) music store on Christmas Tree Lane. The businesses along Christmas Tree Lane have struggled over the years and the area is slated to be razed by a developer. Meg leads the effort with other business owners to save it from the wrecking ball by planning festive holiday activities to draw in crowds, culminating with a holiday concert on Christmas Eve. As plans take shape, romance blossoms between Meg and Nate (Andrew Walker), a businessman who recently relocated to the area and has a surprising tie to the developer that could end up being the Christmas miracle they need.
"Seeing this story through from the initial idea, developing it with the amazing executives at Hallmark, and turning this into a finished movie has been a dream," says Witt of the holiday film. "I'm so proud of what we created and the songwriter aspects of the story are deeply personal to me, as well. I'm thrilled to get to share two of my original songs, and I wrote one of them, 'Christmas Will Never End,' especially for this movie. We need joy and light more than ever before, so my heart is deeply grateful that we can put this movie out into the world this holiday season."
Christmas Tree Lane is set to premiere in October (exact date TBD) on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.
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