Ritesh Sharma
Dusting Rikert has locked in his next directorial project at Hallmark! Moviedelic can reveal that the filmmaker will direct the holiday movie ‘Newport Christmas’ for the network next. The project will start filming in Buffalo, New York, on March 16, 2025. Joie Botkin wrote the screenplay. The cast of the film has yet to be announced.
The plot follows a headstrong Newport-based woman from 1905 who is inexplicably pulled into the present day. After the bizarre time travel, she encounters a devoted historian fascinated by the mystery of her vanishing. As they piece together the events that led to her transportation, she is forced to make a heart-wrenching decision—return to the past she knows or stay in the present, experiencing love transcending time itself.
Rikert is known for helming several Hallmark movies, particularly ones with Christmas themes, making ‘Newport Christmas’ an addition to the same. Some of the notable works he directed for the network include ‘One Royal Holiday,’ ‘Next Stop, Christmas,’ ‘Sweet Pecan Summer,’ ‘Two Tickets to Paradise,’ and ‘The Finnish Line.’ In addition to directing, Rikert has also taken on producing roles for several Hallmark projects, including ‘A Biltmore Christmas’ and ‘Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.’
Botkin is a regular contributor to Hallmark, having written several movies for the channel. Her popular works include ‘Branching Out,’ ‘Savoring Paris,’ and ‘3 Bed, 2 Bath, 1 Ghost.’ She has recently written ‘Our Holiday Story,’ ‘Trading Up Christmas,’ and ‘My Argentine Heart.’
With its charming historic architecture and picturesque winter scenery, Buffalo has become a popular filming location for holiday movies. Films like ‘A Christmas in Vermont,’ ‘A Christmas Princess,’ ‘A Royal Christmas Engagement,’ ‘A Royal Christmas on Ice,’ and ‘A Royal Christmas Holiday’ were shot in the city and nearby towns.
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