From a “magic” leading man to her totally tubular 80s wardrobe, Hallmark fan favorite Erin Cahill is thrilled about every little thing on her newest movie, “Deck the Halls on Cherry Lane,” streaming via Hallmark+ beginning on December 19, 2024.
In the film — one of three sequels to 2023’s “Christmas on Cherry Lane” — Cahill and John Brotherton reprise their roles as married couple Lizzie and John Hamilton. As in the original, they’re one of three families featured in the movie, all living in the same house on Cherry Lane during different eras. The star-studded cast also includes Benjamin Hollingsworth, Chelsea Hobbs, Brooke D’Orsay, and Sam Page.
“It felt so natural, just falling into a rhythm with John and finding our way to each other again,” Cahill told EntertainmentNOW ahead of the premiere, for which she’s hosting a holiday watch party with family and friends. The movie deserves a celebration, Cahill said, because it had all the ingredients needed to make it a joy to create and a treat to watch.
Erin Cahill Was Thrilled to Get All of Her Style Ideas Approved, Including Her ‘Natural Hair’
HallmarkIn “Deck the Halls on Cherry Lane,” viewers will see the Hamiltons’ story fast forward to 1981, with the baby they were expecting in the first movie now a school-aged daughter played by Tessa Rae Kelly. The family still lives at 7 Cherry Lane, but rather than film inside a cramped house, Hallmark built an exact replica of the house from the original movie, Cahill said, and changed the decor for every new era.
Cahill told EntertainmentNOW that getting to revisit the set and storyline was “the best,” noting that prolific Hallmark screenwriter Rick Garman, who’s penned all four movies in the franchise, “did the most brilliant job of weaving all three sequels together — so that’s nine storylines.”
“And then the way he wove all three sequels into the original is absolutely incredible, “Cahill continued. “There are these little Easter eggs in every movie, these little pieces that tie from one story to another. It is awesome.”
Smart screenwriting is just one of the reasons Cahill says “Deck the Halls on Cherry Lane” was such a delight to make. Another was the quintessential 80s styles she and Brotherton got to rock throughout the movie.
She told EntertainmentNOW, “Jonathan Brotherton — who I freaking adore personally, I think he’s made of magic — he’s like, ‘Alright, I’m gonna fight for an 80s mustache.’ And I’m like, ‘I’m gonna fight for my natural curly hair!'”
It wasn’t much of a fight though, Cahill recalled, thrilled that the crew was up for experimenting with her curls and adding other 80s must-haves, from blue eyeshadow to a “red blouse with gray 80s pants,” which Cahill said was her favorite outfit on set.
“I got all of it approved,” Cahill marveled. “All of it was approved, everything I wished for. So I went into day one of filming going, ‘I got the wardrobe I wanted, I got the hair I wanted, I got the makeup I wanted, the set is awesome. I’m in the 80s!”
Popularity of ‘Christmas on Cherry Lane’ Has Blown Erin Cahill Away
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Cahill told EntertainmentNOW she’s been amazed and thrilled by the response to the “Cherry Lane” franchise, and how the fandom around 2023’s movie continues to grow.
The movie is currently one of 10 Hallmark films available on Netflix through December 31, was included on Forbes’ new rankings of the “Top Hallmark Movies of All-Time,” and — much to Cahill’s surprise — is one of a dozen Christmas classics available on United Airlines flights.
“Christmas on Cherry Lane went over so beautifully last year,” Cahill said, “and I’m very excited to see what the fans think of these three sequels and what they think of the world that Rick (Garman) created. It’s so cool because it does break the traditional Hallmark movie (mold), but it still has the traditional heart of Hallmark. So it’s a win-win. It’s innovative and new and completely, classically Hallmark in its spirit.”
Another ensemble project Cahill has adored being part of is the Hallmark+ series “Holidazed,” chronicling a cul-de-sac full of family dramas that unfold during the holiday season, with multiple neighbors’ stories overlapping.
A new episode of “Holidazed” will premiere on December 19 alongside “Deck the Halls on Cherry Lane,” both of which will be playing on screens at Cahill’s holiday shindig for friends. The “Holidazed” season finale drops on Christmas Eve.
Getting to be part of such heartfelt, innovative programming and the tight-knit community of talent at Hallmark is a privilege Cahill said she never takes for granted.
“I am passionately in love with my job,” Cahill told EntertainmentNOW. “I’m grateful every day.”
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EXCLUSIVE: Erin Cahill Got ‘Everything I Wished For’ on New Hallmark Christmas Movie