Just over a week after Hallmark Media announced its partnership with the Kansas City Chiefs to produce an NFL-themed holiday movie starring Hallmark fan-favorites Tyler Hynes and Hunter King, the two stars arrived in Kansas City for 4th of July festivities before kicking off their highly-anticipated shoot.
While the actors have shared highlights of their holiday weekend on social media, including sightseeing and watching fireworks, local media has reported that those working behind the scenes are scrambling to get locations around Kansas City, home of Hallmark’s corporate headquarters, ready for filming to begin the week of July 8, 2024.
Hunter King & Tyler Hynes Watched Baseball & Fireworks in Kansas City
Before beginning filming “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story,” King and Hynes shared glimpses of fun they’ve already had in Kansas City, enjoying the city with others involved in the movie, including producer David Wulf, who worked on five Hallmark movies in 2023 such as “Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up” and “Branching Out,” per IMDb.
On July 3, King shared in her Instagram Stories that she’d arrived in Kansas City, posting a photo of Hallmark’s headquarters and writing, “Oh hey @hallmark 👋”
The following day, she added a photo from the previous night at Kauffmann Stadium, where the Kansas City Royals play. She tagged Hynes, several Hallmark executives and her boyfriend, Chris Copier, who’s served as the second assistant director on multiple Hallmark movies, per IMDb, including Lacey Chabert’s “Haul Out the Holly” movies and 2021’s “Sweet Pecan Summer.”
King wrote over the photo, “Family night at @kcroyals with @hallmarkchannel 💙”
In her Instagram feed, the actress also posted a series of photos from the ballpark and from the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium, and wrote, “The best of Kansas City⚾️🏈 Thank you @hallmarkchannel ❤️ Can’t wait for what’s to come!”
Samantha DiPippo, Hallmark Media’s SVP of Development, replied in the comment section, “It’s happening!!! 🎄🎥🏈”
In an Instagram post on July 4, Hynes shared behind-the-scenes photos and videos from five Hallmark movies he said he’s worked on over the last four months, including video of cameramen prepping at Arrowhead Stadium and a fireworks display after the Royals game the night before.
Hynes also posted a video in his Instagram Stories on July 5 of his view from the balcony of a hotel suite, which gave him a view of fireworks displays happening across the Kansas City landscape.
Hallmark’s press release on “Holiday Touchdown” said Ed Begley, Jr., will co-star in the movie, but he ha not posted anything yet about being in Kansas City.
Independence Square Preparing for Hundreds of Cast Members, Crew & Fans
While Hynes and King enjoy the city and prep for their movie, local fans and retailers are scrambling to get ready for filming to begin. Many scenes will be filmed in the suburb of Independence, where its charming downtown area, called Independence Square, is already decked out for its annual “Christmas in July” festival, according to the Kansas City Star.
“We usually celebrate Christmas in July up here, but this takes it to a whole new level,” the Independence Square Association’s executive director Jeff Rogers told KMBC. “They’ll be using the inside of some locations, and they’ll be using some of the sidewalks.”
Rogers also told the Kansas City Star that they were preparing for 200 to 300 cast and crew members to descend on the town square, not including extras on the film. Wright/Laird Casting issued a casting call for extras to be available from July 6 to 27, but there was such a huge response that it was closed within two days, per Fox4.
Cindy McClain, who owns more than 30 buildings in Independence Square, told the Kansas City Star on July 5, “It’s happened very, very quick. I say that I feel to a certain extent — and I cannot imagine how a location scout feels or a producer or director — but I feel like I’m trying to stay in front of a freight train.”
McClain said Hallmark crew members have upleveled the town’s Christmas in July decorations for the movie and that she hopes to find money to be able to keep some of their additions.
“The lights that outline the buildings are the lights we put up every Christmas,” she told the Kansas City Star. “In fact they pulled out some of my decorations I use on our buildings for Christmas, the neon (decorations) that go on the sides of the buildings, wreaths, things like that. The light poles and the ribbon are their thing. We’re going to try to find money to try to keep them.”
Because of all the buzz about the movie, McClain said extra security is planned for all the fans expected to show up to get a glimpse of Hynes, King and Begley Jr.
“Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story,” will be about a Chiefs “superfan” trying to win the team’s “Fan of the Year” contest, when sparks begin flying between her and the Chiefs’ Director of Fan Engagement, played by Hynes. The movie will be released as part of Hallmark Channel’s 2024 Countdown to Christmas programming.
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