Naman Shrestha
With Max McGuire at the helm, Hallmark’s ‘Winter Wonderlanes’ is a romantic drama movie that centers on a successful and world-renowned pop-up restaurateur named Audrey Bell, who is shocked to learn about the potential sale of her late grandfather’s bowling alley, Wonderlanes. Hearing the news, she travels to her hometown for Thanksgiving and decides to revive the Winter Wonderlanes youth bowling tournament in honor of her late grandfather one last time.
While preparing for the event, Audrey reconnects with her high school boyfriend, Jason Miller, who works as a local news reporter. Putting their differences aside, they reluctantly collaborate to spread awareness about the event. As they spend more time together, old sparks begin to reignite, and by the time the tournament approaches, Audrey must choose between her successful life away from Wonderlanes and her wholesome life close to her roots. The heartwarming tale of reunion and old flame unfolds in a small, quaint town, with its beloved bowling alley serving as one of the motivations for Audrey to recalibrate her priorities.
Where Was Winter Wonderlanes Filmed?
Production on ‘Winter Wonderlanes’ was reportedly conducted in its entirety in Ontario, specifically in and around Ottawa. Principal photography for the Hallmark film commenced on April 20, 2026, and continued for more than two weeks before wrapping up by the end of the first week of May of the same year. As the premiere date approached, one of the cast members, Michael Gordin Shore, took to social media and stated, “I had a fabulous time working on Winter Wonderlanes, amazing cast extraordinary crew.”
Ottawa, Ontario
The city of Ottawa served as the primary production location for ‘Winter Wonderlanes.’ The filming unit set up camp in different streets and neighborhoods across the Canadian capital to lens pivotal sequences. In particular, it seems that the downtown area was transformed into a film set, with the production team redressing the storefronts and businesses for the purpose of shooting. The strategic establishing or aerial shots likely feature numerous local landmarks and buildings, such as Rideau Hall, the Centre Block, the Rideau Canal, the Fairmont Château Laurier, and more. Other notable movies taped on location in Ottawa include the likes of ‘The Spirit of Halloween,’ ‘Kissing Is the Easy Part,’ ‘Noel Next Door,’ ‘We Met in December,’ and ‘Fit for a Prince.’
Winter Wonderlanes Cast Details
Ashley Newbrough and Franco Lo Presti lead the cast of ‘Winter Wonderlanes’ as they bring the romantic story to life through their chemistry-filled performances. Besides having a knack for acting, Ashley also has quite a few producing credits to her name as she has served as an executive producer on ‘Blue Moon Ball,’ ‘A Dickens of a Christmas,’ and ‘Flowers and Honey.’ On the other hand, Franco won the Best Canadian Actor Short Film award at the 2018 Edmonton Festival of Fear International Film Festival.
Ashley Newbrough as Audrey Bell
Ashley Newbrough essays the role of Audrey Bell, the pop-up restaurateur who returns to her hometown for Thanksgiving in ‘Winter Wonderlanes.’ Over the course of her decades-long career, she has showcased her acting prowess by taking on different kinds of roles, including Sage Baker in ‘Privileged,’ Kyra in ‘Mistresses,’ Jenna Whitaker in ‘Hearts Around the Table: Jenna’s First Love,’ and Lottie in ‘Operation Nutcracker.’ Her other TV credits include ‘Rent-a-Goalie,’ ‘The Best Years,’ ‘Radio Free Roscoe,’ and ‘The Love Club.’
Franco Lo Presti as Jason Miller
In the Hallmark production, Franco Lo Presti steps into the role of Jason Miller, a local news reporter and Audrey’s former boyfriend. Widely recognized for his portrayal of Cliff Marleau in the hit series ‘Heated Rivalry,’ Franco also stars in multiple episodes of ‘Bad Blood’ as Luca Cosoleto, ‘Crossroad Springs’ as Eric Randall, ‘Chucky’ as Hicks, and ‘Murdoch Mysteries’ as Tony. He also features in several movies such as ‘Brother,’ ‘Unwrapping Christmas: Lily’s Destiny,’ ‘Christmas Time Capsule,’ and ’14 Love Letters.’ Besides the lead actors, ‘Winter Wonderlanes’ also features other talented cast members, including Nicole Amber Farrugia as Hadley Bell, Savannah Meslin as Natalie, and Michael Gordin Shore as Henry.
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