Hallmark gay christmas movies 2024
Jonathan Bennett to Star in Hallmark&8217;s First Gay-Themed Movie
Jonathan Bennett, renowned for his role as Aaron Samuels in Mean Girls, anticipates his upcoming trilogy, The Groomsmen, to introduce a groundbreaking gay-centric narrative in a Hallmark Channel movie.
Bennett, aged 43, disclosed to People that he'll portray Danny in the films, joining Tyler Hynes and B.J. Britt, established performers in other Hallmark Channel productions.
&8220;Danny's journey in The Groomsmen will explore themes of camaraderie and affection, culminating in a wedding narrative,&8221; he remarked during a San Diego Comic-Con interview on July 25.
&8220;This marks the initial instance of a gay wedding at the forefront of a Hallmark plot,&8221; Bennett affirmed. &8220;This significant representation offers a crucial opportunity for the LGBTQ+ community to see themselves mirrored in these stories.&8221;
Hallmark notes the film chronicles "the lives and romantic involvements of three close friends, each with their unique backgrounds, cultures, and sexual orientations, as they find marital bliss in stunning Greek, Italian, and Bulgarian locales".
Bennett's Danny, an "ex-athlete with a compassionate soul", stands in contrast to Britt's Pete, a "compassionate pediatrician with an aptitude for meticulous planning", and Hynes's Jackson, a "sophisticated and charming social media influencer".
&8220;Filming Danny's narrative unfolded on the breathtaking shores of Greece,&8221; Bennett noted. &8220;The experience of working in Santorini, with Tyler Hynes and B.J. Britt, jumping from cliffs, offered an idyllic, dreamlike quality, and provided an exceptional backdrop for filming a Hallmark gay romance.&8221;
&8220;The narrative blends elements of exploration, friendship, romance, and, naturally, the beauty of Greece,&8221; he continued. &8220;This movie truly exceeds expectations.&8221;
While Bennett has previously played heterosexual characters in Hallmark movies, this marks a pivotal role, with the The Christmas House film (earlier touted as Hallmark's first gay-centric production, although the primary narrative focused on the straight brother) containing a supporting gay character with a romantic interest.
The Groomsmen stands out as the first in its franchise to centre a gay plotline of equal importance across the entire film trilogy.
A few years ago, envisioning a gay-themed story on Hallmark seemed almost inconceivable.
In 2019, the channel famously pulled a lesbian wedding advertisement due to pressure from social conservatives and potential boycotts, only later to reverse its decision.
Right-wing advocacy groups circulated petitions urging the channel to refrain from including LGBTQ+ characters, even minor roles, in their films.
Subsequently, Bill Abbott, then CEO of Crown Media Family Networks, publicly expressed a commitment to diverse character portrayals, including same-sex relationships, in response to viewer calls for greater inclusion across racial, religious, and family-structure diversities.
Regrettably, this commitment to casting and storyline diversification led several of the channel's conservative stars, and Abbott himself, to transition to the Great American Family channel, which aims to showcase storylines aligned with conservative values and traditional family structures.
Bennett, also hosting Hallmark's inaugural reality competition, Finding Mr. Christmas (premiering later this year), stated on Instagram that he feels proud of crafting meaningful stories.
&8220;I hope audiences will relate to these narratives,&8221; he wrote. &8220;That's our driving force. Creating compelling stories, while enjoying the creative process.&8221;
The Groomsmen movies will be released on Hallmark+ this autumn.
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