Naman Shrestha
Another installment in the ‘Hannah Swensen’ film series, Hallmark’s ‘Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery’ is a murder mystery drama movie helmed by Peter Benson. The narrative centers on Hannah Swensen, who attends the grand re-opening of the prestigious Lake Eden Inn with her partner, Chad Norton, and her mother, Delores Swensen. Amidst the celebrations and masquerade theme of the event, Hannah discovers a dead body in one of the rooms. With a strong storm trapping everyone inside, Hannah finds herself on the clock as she embarks on a mission to identify the perpetrator among the guests before the storm passes. She and Chad closely observe the guests at the event and investigate the murder. The suspenseful tale is set mostly inside the Lake Eden Inn, which harbors a dark secret behind the facade of celebrations.
Where Was Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery Filmed?
The shooting for ‘Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery’ was seemingly conducted in Victoria, British Columbia. From what we can tell, the Hallmark production supposedly got underway in March 2025 and continued for a few weeks before wrapping up in early April of the same year. As the premiere date approached, Alison Sweeney took to social media and appreciated the costume designer’s work. She said, “These costumes were so much fun to work with. I loved how creative Kelsey, our Costume Designer, was with every single costume. It reminded me of one particular outfit I wore for a month straight ( I think) as Sami! lol.”
Victoria, British Columbia
All the pivotal sequences for ‘Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery’ were likely lensed in and around Victoria, the capital city of British Columbia. Situated on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, various streets and neighborhoods of the city were turned into film sets for the production. Since most of the drama unfolds inside Lake Eden Inn, where the masquerade takes place, the filming unit seemingly set up camp at a real-life establishment or a film studio located in and around Victoria. Talking about bringing her ideas to life with the help of her fellow cast and crew members, Alison Sweeney told EntertainmentNow that she sent photos to her team from ‘Phantom of the Opera’ and other similar productions to give them an idea about her vision.
“I was going with big, awesome dreams … just really making sure we get the combo of scary — like a serious mystery — and then also the fun of the Hannah Swenson world. I really, really enjoyed writing that one. It was really fun for me. And then to see it come to life is, like, incredible. I feel so lucky. I look around and everyone works so hard and devotes so much of themselves, and our production designer built such a beautiful space for this party, and it just looks so fancy, and you just can’t believe it,” she added. Apart from ‘Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery,’ Victoria has hosted the production of various other movies and TV shows, including ‘The Boy,’ ‘The Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Winemaker,’ ‘Curious Caterer: Foiled Plans,’ ‘Gourmet Detective,’ ‘Gracepoint,’ ‘The Outer Limits,’ and ‘The X-Files.’
Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery Cast Details
Alison Sweeney, Victor Webster, and Barbara Niven return to work together in ‘Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery.’ They have previously collaborated in many ‘Hannah Swensen’ movies, such as ‘Pie to Die For: A Hannah Swensen Mystery,’ ‘Reality Bites: A Hannah Swensen Mystery,’ ‘A Sprinkle of Deceit: A Hannah Swensen Mystery,’ and ‘One Bad Apple: A Hannah Swensen Mystery.’
Alison Sweeney as Hannah Swensen
Alison Sweeney reprises her role as Hannah Swensen in ‘Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery.’ Besides the ‘Hannah Swensen’ film series, the LA native is known for her portrayals of Sami Brady in ‘Days of Our Lives’ and Rosie Tobin in ‘Family Man.’ Her movie credits include ‘Romance at Hope Ranch,’ ‘This Time Each Year,’ ‘The Wedding Veil Journey,’ ‘A Magical Christmas Village,’ and ‘Time for Them to Come Home for Christmas.’
Victor Webster as Chad Norton
In the Hallmark production, Victor Webster steps into the role of Chad Norton. You might find his face familiar because he portrays Lopez in ‘Surrogates,’ Glen in ‘Bringing Down the House,’ Mathayus in ‘The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power,’ and Mike Bolinski in ‘Workin’ Moms.’ He stars in numerous TV shows, including ‘Motherland: Fort Salem,’ ‘Chesapeake Shores,’ ‘Continuum,’ and ‘Castle.’ Victor also features in movies like ‘Sugarplummed,’ ‘Mystery on Mistletoe Lane,’ ‘A Christmas Cookie Catastrophe,’ and ‘MatchMaker Mysteries: A Fatal Romance.’
Barbara Niven as Delores Swensen
Barbara Niven essays the character of Delores Swensen in the whodunnit movie. Hailing from Portland, Oregon, the veteran actor is widely recognized for her roles as Rebecca Westridge in ‘A Perfect Ending,’ Suzanne in ‘North to Home,’ Marilyn Monroe in ‘The Rat Pack,’ and Megan O’Brien in ‘Chesapeake Shores.’ Over the course of her decades-long acting career, she has showcased her acting prowess in several movies and TV shows, such as ‘Christmas Baby,’ ‘The Last Word,’ ‘The Christmas Contest,’ ‘Christmas at the Golden Dragon,’ ‘NCIS,’ ‘Cedar Cove,’ and ‘Eli Stone.’
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