Chiefs & Hallmark Presents ‘Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story’
People can’t seem to get enough of Hallmark holiday movies, despite their predictability. And if you’re a fan of charming heartwarming movies, then we have some great news. The Kansas City Chiefs are making a movie. Kansas City and Hallmark are collaborating with the NFL and Skydance Sports to make a holiday movie.
What we know about Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story
According to the NFL, Tyler Hynes, Hunter King, and Ed Begley Jr. will star in the Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story. The film is set to premiere on the Hallmark Channel this winter during the 15th annual Countdown to Christmas programming event.
Holiday Touchdown is being directed by John Putch, who has worked on TV shows like Scrubs, Black-ish, and The Middle. He is the son of the late actress Jean Stapleton, who is known for her role in All In The Family.
“We are honored to partner with Hallmark on a project as unique as this,” Chiefs president Mark Donovan said in a statement.” As a club, we pride ourselves on exploring new ways to grow our brand, as well as connect with new audiences. This partnership unites two passionate fanbases and gives us an opportunity to show Chiefs Kingdom’s energy and tradition on one of the most-watched channels during the holiday season.”
The movie is set to begin production in July and will be filmed in Kansas City, Missouri, locations, including GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (the Chiefs’ home stadium).
The Kansas City Star reported that Wright/Laird Casting is looking for extras who are 18 years and older for the film. It will pay $150 a day. People who apply will need to include a headshot and a full-length photo. You can fill out an application online here. If you’re selected, you might see yourself in the film and perhaps you’ll end up at Arrowhead Stadium since scenes for the movie will be shot there.
Swifties are hoping for a Hallmark “Swelcie” romance movie.
When the news hit social media, some fans shared their thoughts online. “Can’t wait for it to premiere, this is going to be the best tayvis romance movie!!!” one person said. Another person said, “Enough of the NFL capitalizing on this.” Someone took the moment to advocate for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s pockets saying, “I feel like trav and Taylor need a percentage off the commission on this bc you know damn well that’s the only reason nfl is doing it is for the $$ [laughing emoji].”
The Chiefs actually leaned into the Swift-Kelce hype last year with a spoof of a Hallmark Channel holiday movie with a trailer for the fake “Falling for Football” and Hynes was its leading man. The whole thing was really just an advertisement for the team’s AFC Championship Game.
Despite Swift and Kelce’s romance dominating headlines, and getting major NFL season coverage, the upcoming movie is not about them at all.
So, what is the movie about?
In the Hallmark Channel version, Alana Higman (Hunter King) is sure that her family’s lifelong history as Kansas City Chiefs super fans makes them a shoo-in to win the team’s “Fan of the Year” contest. Derrick (Tyler Hynes), the team’s director of Fan Engagement, is tasked with evaluating how Alana and her family stack up against the other two finalists.
As the pair spends time together, it’s clear there’s a spark between them, but when her grandfather’s (Ed Begley Jr.) lucky, vintage Chiefs winter hat goes missing, Alana “begins to doubt everything she believed” about fate and destiny and even “questions her future with Derrick — unless, that is, a little Christmas magic can throw a Hail Mary.”
Filming is scheduled to begin next month.
