Hallmark’s “The Christmas Cup,” premieres Sunday, November 30 at 6 p.m. Eastern, with encores airing throughout the season. The movie stars Rhiannon Fish and Ben Rosenbaum. Read on to learn all about where the movie was filmed and see behind-the-scenes cast stories.
‘The Christmas Cup’ Was Filmed in Canada Over the Summer
“The Christmas Cup” was filmed in the British Columbia region of Canada, from June 14 to June 29, according to UBCP ACTRA.
Much of the filming took place in Kelowna. In a Reddit thread about the filming, one person writes, “I’m curious if anyone knows what movie is being filmed in Kelowna right now. I see their trailers and props at MNP place parking lot. I’ve also seen some filming locations with fake snow. I assume it will be a hallmark type Christmas movie.”
In July, Rosenbaum posted a series of photos and wrote, “M-m-m-myyy Kelowna! Can’t wait to tell you all why I was there!”
Fish wrote about the movie: “It was an honour to work alongside this extraordinary crew. Witnessing the way you showed up for each other was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I will carry that love with me forever ❤️.”
Rosenbaum told TV Fanatic about filming: “When I found out that Rhiannon Fish was attached, I was over the moon because I think she’s terrific. She was every bit as amazing as you’d hope, both personally and professionally. The icing on the cake was working with director Robin Dunne, who was collaborative and wonderful from start to finish.”
Rosenbaum also said he loved working with Jaeda Lily Miller and Natasha Burnett, his When Calls the Heart co-stars.
“Natasha Burnett and Jada Lily Miller played more principal roles than cameos. I got to work with them more on the movie than I typically do in a season of When Calls the Heart, because our characters don’t cross paths as often in Hope Valley,” he said. “So, it was really fun getting to work with them and see them do something a little different. They’re both so talented and so fun to be around, so I loved it.”
He added that there are several Easter eggs from the series hidden in the film.
Meet the Cast
Hallmark’s synopsis reads: “After a knee injury threatens to cut her career short, Staff Sergeant Kelly Brandt (Fish) returns home in low spirits for the holidays. Her family tries to help by encouraging her to lead her hometown team in the annual Christmas Cup against the rival town. It takes a lot of work, but Kelly organizes her team and gets them as competition-ready as she can with the help of Fire Captain Quinn Stokley (Rosenbaum). Sparks begin to fly with Quinn, and through the whole process, Kelly is reminded of how much she loves to lead, but her heart still hopes she will be cleared to return to serve. Kelly ultimately receives the call she has been waiting for; however, it’s not what she expects. With the Marines needing her to report to the Hawaiian base on the day of the competition, Kelly soon realizes there is more than one way to serve a community.”
Ben Rosenbaum is Quinn. He’s perhaps best known for his role as Mike Hickam on “When Calls the Heart.” According to his Hallmark bio, he’s a graduate of the Guthrie Theatre BFA Actor Training Program and has been acting since he was just six. He’s worked consistently in both theater and TV.
Rhiannon Fish is Kelly. Her numerous Hallmark appearances include “When Love Springs,” “A Picture of Her,” “Nikki & Nora: Sister Sleuths,” “Remembering Love,” “You’re Bacon Me Crazy,” and more. She also starred on “The 100” as Ontari, and has appeared in romance movies for Prime Video and UPtv as well.
Also starring, according to IMDb, are:
- Everly Dunne (Maddie)
- Natasha Burnett (Bree)
- David Fung (Taster)
- Jonas Janz (Duke)
- Jaxon Jensen (Birdgeport singer)
- Jaeda Lily Miller (Starla)
- Harlow Robbins (Kip)
- Vincent Ross (Chief scientist)
- Michael Teigen (Mickey)
- Lana Westaway (Bridgeport chugger)
- Wayne Corbeil (Townfolk)
Robin Dunne directed this film.
