Abhiroop Das
Hallmark’s ‘Caught by Love’ is a romance story that follows Annie on a well-deserved vacation, complete with sun-soaked skies, white sandy beaches, and glistening resorts. For Annie, this is meant to be a period of leisure and psychological decompression, but things quickly take the wrong turn when she encounters an ongoing investigation into some truly enigmatic. A detective, named Jake, is coursing through every street and every shoreline in search of a jewel, and when his path crosses with Annie’s, all hell breaks loose. Without warning, she finds herself swept right into the search with him, and as the duo faces every challenge together, what started out as a messy alliance blooms into a much more meaningful partnership. Whether Annie’s vacation can help her relocate her heart and soul now depends on Jake and the twists and turns in their relationship.
Caught by Love Filming Locations
‘Caught by Love’ was taped entirely in Malta, with local villages and towns adding to the movie’s realism. Production began sometime around October 2025 and wrapped up within the same year. Rachael Leigh Cook, who plays the lead role of Annie, shared her memories of exploring the sights with her parents. “MALTA, you’re a beauty. Thank you for taking such good care of me and my gorgeous parents. They’re home safe and raving about you to anyone who will listen,” she wrote.
Malta
Caught by Love was filmed in its entirety on site in the sun-kissed island of Malta, with the production team bringing the island’s crystal-clear blue waters, historic neighborhoods, and other coastal highlights directly to the screen. Given that the movie’s premise is about a luxury resort stay gone wrong, it makes sense that the crew opted to make use of Malta’s beautiful resorts, hotels, and estates. The crew’s first stop was Villa Bologna, an 18th-century villa located on 30 St Anthony Street, in the central village of Attard. The villa’s well-preserved, baroque architecture, coupled with its expansive open spaces, adds an extra punch to the movie’s visual storytelling.
The same goes for Salini Resort, a tourist haven situated along the northern coastline at Salina Bay, in the town of Naxxar. The resort boasts a sweeping view of the shoreline, alongside two swimming pools and picture-perfect indoor spaces, all of which were transformed into the movie’s fictional setting. The striking beach sequences were lensed at Golden Bay, one of Malta’s largest natural sandy beaches, located in Mellieħa. With this, the crew captured the island’s natural and urban areas, elevating the movie as a whole. Malta is a much sought-after destination when it comes to filmmakers, with iconic titles such as ‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘1923,’ and ‘Jurassic World: Rebirth’ also being taped in and around the pristine island.
Caught by Love Cast Details
‘Caught by Love’ brings to the table a cast of Hallmark veterans, spearheaded by Rachael Leigh Cook and Luke Macfarlane, whose romantic chemistry elevates the story to the next level. Alongside being an actor, Cook is also an accomplished producer with credits for Hallmark titles such as ‘Valentine in the Vineyard,’ ‘Sisterhood Inc.,’ and ‘The Christmas Affair.’ She is also a writer whose skills are on full display in ‘Frozen in Love.’ Macfarlane is also a producer and has titles such as ‘Amish Stud: The Eli Weaver Story’ and ‘Home Is Where the Heart Is’ under his belt.
Rachael Leigh Cook as Annie
Actor Rachel Leigh Cook takes center stage in ‘Caught by Love’ as Annie, whose life turns upside down when her sizzling vacation gives way to a criminal mystery. Cook began her career as a model at the age of ten, before making her silver screen debut with ‘The Baby-Sitters Club.’ She’s perhaps best known for her work in films like ‘She’s All That,’ ’11:14,’ and ‘Josie and the Pussycats,’ where she essays the roles of Laney Boggs, Cheri, and Josie McCoy, respectively. Cook also features in popular television shows like ‘Perception’ and ‘Robot Chicken’ as Kate Moretti and Evil-lyn, respectively. A hallmark star through and through, Cook plays Frankie Baldwin in ‘Autumn in the Vineyard,’ and its sequel, ‘Summer in the Vineyard,’ and is also known for participating in productions such as ‘Frozen in Love’ and ‘Tis the Season to Be Merry.’
Luke Macfarlane as Jake
Starring alongside Rachael Leigh Cook is Luke Macfarlane, who steps into the role of Jake, with whom Annie has a romantic dynamic. Jake appears to be deeply involved in the jewel investigation, and as his fate intertwines with that of Annie, love and thrill come together in various combinations. Macfarlane is perhaps most well known for his work in the TV series ‘Brothers & Sisters,’ and ‘Killjoys,’ where he portrays Scotty Wandell and D’avin Jaqobis. The charming actor also has many Hallmark projects under his belt, such as ‘The Memory Book,’ ‘A Valentine’s Match’ and ‘Chateau Christmas,’ where he essays Gabe Sinclair, Zach Williams and Jackson Lewis. Macfarlane is also a trained Cello player, and that skill often shows up as a highlight in many of his on-screen performances.
Cook and Macfarlane are supported by a stacked supporting cast, essaying characters who contribute to the central mystery in their own way. Actors Jake Alun, Emrhys Cooper, Rupert Hill, Ruby Kammer, and Nichola Manners don the fictional garbs of Reid, Colin, Robert, Joanna, and Kimberly, while Peter Winfield, Mark Meilak, and Theodore Zammit round up the cast as the Yacht owner and two hotel guests, respectively.
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