Naman Shrestha
With Marita Grabiak occupying the director’s chair, Hallmark’s ‘Winter Castle’ is a 2019 romantic drama film that acquaints us with Jenny, who is excited to attend her sister’s winter destination wedding at an ice hotel. At the wedding, her sister, Meg, plans to set him up with her husband’s best man, Craig, a widowed father. Upon arriving at the wedding venue, Jenny finds herself fascinated by the uniqueness of the ice hotel. However, when it comes to her hopes of finding romance with Craig, they quickly go out the window with the introduction of his girlfriend, Lana.
Over the next few days, she becomes enamored by the best man as the two get the opportunity to spend some quality time with each other. Jenny also manages to get in the good books of Craig’s daughter, but she still assumes that it is impossible to have a future with him because of his long-term relationship with Lana. The rom-com makes up for the chilling and icy backdrop of the hotel by including heartwarming themes of true love and marriage.
Where Was Winter Castle Filmed?
The shooting for ‘Winter Castle’ was conducted across two Candian provinces, Ontario and Quebec, particularly in Ottawa and the Quebec City Area. As per reports, principal photography for the Hallmark production commenced in March 2018 under the working title ‘Winter Castle: Royal Romance’ and got wrapped up by the end of the same month.
Ottawa, Ontario
Several important scenes of ‘Winter Castle’ were lensed across the capital city of the nation — Ottawa. The opening shots of the city were recorded in and around ByWard Market, an entertainment district situated in the downtown part of the city. The Cumberland Heritage Village Museum at 2940 Old Montreal Road in Cumberland was also utilized to tape various other exterior portions for the movie. Reports suggest that the Fairmont Château Laurier at 1 Rideau Street and the Booth House at 252 Metcalfe Street also served as a couple of production locations. Furthermore, the cast and crew members were spotted shooting a few sequences on Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm, an award-winning Wedding venue situated at 2452 York’s Corners Road in the rural community of Edwards in the Osgoode Ward of Ottawa.
Quebec City Area, Quebec
In order to shoot the ice hotel scenes, the production team of ‘Winter Castle’ took over the real-life ice hotel — Hôtel de Glace. Located at 2280 Bd Valcartier in the municipality of Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, the unique hotel offers its guests a one-of-a-kind experience by providing different kinds of rooms and spaces, with almost everything made of ice and snow. The cast and crew members ensure to make the most of every corner of the ice hotel, which only stays open for less than three months, from January to mid-March.
Winter Castle Cast Details
Emilie Ullerup and Kevin McGarry lead the cast of ‘Winter Castle’ through their stellar performances. Besides being an actor, the latter has also directed a couple of short films — ‘Happy F#@%Ing New Year’ and ‘Lucky.’ On the other hand, Emilie is a Denmark-born actor who relocated to Vancouver to pursue her dreams of becoming an actor.
Emilie Ullerup as Jenny
Emilie Ullerup essays the role of Jenny in the Hallmark production. Over the course of her decades-long acting career, she has showcased her acting talents and versatility by taking up roles in different kinds of projects. Her movie credits include ‘The Music Teacher,’ ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered: From the Heart,’ ‘True Memoirs of an International Assassin,’ ‘Christmas Bells Are Ringing,’ ‘Don’t Forget I Love You,’ and ‘Mormon Mom Gone Wrong: The Ruby Franke Story.’ You might also recognize her from various TV shows like ‘Tidsrejsen 2,’ ‘Chesapeake Shores,’ ‘Motherland: Fort Salem,’ ‘Arctic Air,’ and ‘Sanctuary.’
Kevin McGarry as Craig
The ‘When Calls the Heart’ fame Kevin McGarry portrays Craig, Jenny’s love interest, in ‘Winter Castle.’ You might find his face familiar because he has been featured in several film and TV projects. For instance, he plays the role of Mitch Cutty in ‘Heartland,’ Citrus in ‘Schitt’s Creek,’ and Nathan Grant in ‘When Hope Calls.’ When it comes to the movies in his credit, he stars in ‘A Reason for the Season,’ ‘Love at First Bark,’ ‘Saw 3D,’ and ‘The Wedding Veil Expectations.’
Meghan Heffern as Lana
Hailing from Edmonton, Alberta, Meghan Heffern dons the garb of Lana, Craig’s girlfriend, in the romantic drama film. Owing to her extensive filmography, you might recognize her from various other projects, such as ‘What If,’ ‘Special Correspondents,’ ‘Christmas Wedding Planner,’ and ‘Red Rover.’ She also features in many TV shows, including ‘How to Buy a Baby’ as Jane, ‘Sex/Life’ as Carolina, ‘UnREAL’ as Sofia, and ‘Wynonna Earp’ as Beth Gardner.
‘Winter Castle also features other talented actors in supporting yet important roles, including Habree Larratt as Sara, Melanie Mullen as Meg, Justine Eyre as Linda, Richard Nash as Clark, Pierre Simpson as Peter, Jon McLaren as Tony, Allison Graham as Carrie, and Rodrigues A. Williams as Ed. Moreover, Roger Dunn plays the role of Father Macy. In addition, while Joel Oliver portrays a farmer, Jason Sedlar essays the role of the Restaurant Patron.
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