It’s safe to say no other TV network has a community of fans as passionate and devoted as Hallmark Channel. Wherever its stars go, their fans show up in droves — from the 2,000 people who crammed into a ballroom at San Diego Comic Con’s Hallmark Hallstars panel in July 2025 to the tens of thousands on a waitlist for November’s fan cruise to the Bahamas, all hoping space will miraculously open up on the sold-out ship.
Combine that level of enthusiasm with the “it” factor of heartthrob Tyler Hynes, who has humbly skyrocketed to the top of the Hallmark hunk hierarchy since his 2018 debut on the network, and you’ve got a fandom worthy of an entire documentary.
At least that’s what filmmaker and podcaster Jennifer Silliman thinks. A familiar face to Hallmarkies thanks to her “Hearts of Stars” video interviews with rom-com stars, Silliman told EntertainmenNow in early August that she’s set her sights on a new project: producing a heartfelt, illuminating documentary about Hynes’ biggest fans.
Documentarian Says Tyler Hynes Has a Gift for Making Each Fan Feel ‘Special’
In 2014, Silliman produced the much-buzzed-about “Dark Side of the Full Moon,” a documentary about the lack of proper care for new moms suffering through perinatal mental health crises. The movie was inspired in part by her own difficult journey after her daughter was born, she told EntertainmentNow, adding that one thing that brought her comfort was watching Hallmark movies.
“Hallmark movies really helped me when I was going through my mental health stuff,” she explained. “It’s kind of well known that people with anxiety and things like that tend to watch the same shows over and over again because they know how it’s going to end. And everyone knows that a Hallmark movie is (like that) — you’re not going to get triggered by anything in a Hallmark movie.”
Nearly a decade later, as Silliman dove deeper into the Hallmark universe by attending events and interviewing talent, she was intrigued by Hynes’ massive appeal to fans of all ages. The first time Silliman truly noticed Hynes’ gravitational pull was three years ago, while attending the RomaDrama fan convention.
“I was having breakfast with some fans in West Palm Beach at RomaDrama,” she told EntertainmentNow. “I’m just sitting with these people, and I was like, ‘What is happening? Like, these people are obsessed.’ I mean, they weren’t talking about anything else (but Hynes).”
“I was like, ‘Wow, this is so fascinating to me,’ and I didn’t really know who Tyler Hynes was,” she continued. “I did not watch any of his movies. He was not on my radar. But I did know leading up to that event that he was the one people just had to see.”
Silliman’s curiosity was further piqued when Hynes arrived at the event and a large group swarmed around the actor, she said, with people swooning over even the smallest interactions with him.
“I mean, he does know how to make you feel special,” Silliman acknowledged. “I don’t know how he does that, I don’t know what it is, but he really, really does.”
Filmmaker Says She’s Been Fascinated by Tyler Hynes’ Meaningful Connections With His Fans
Silliman told EntertainmentNow she marvels at how much Hynes’ fandom has exploded since the first time she saw him. In addition to attracting crowds wherever he goes, Hynes routinely sells out of his online merchandise, like a 2024 coffee table book of swoon-worthy photos.
Hynes has also spearheaded an annual Boot Shot Tradition that grows larger with every year. He typically hosts a virtual gathering a few days before Christmas and in-person gatherings at fan conventions, with everyone raising a custom boot-shaped shot glass to celebrate life and the community they’ve built.
Another example of how Hynes goes out of the way for his fans, whom he prefers to call “enthusiasts,” came when the Kansas City Chiefs lost the Super Bowl in February. Hynes flew there to give out free hugs at one of the venues where he filmed 2024’s “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.” Fans packed the shop just to get a spirit-lifting hug from the actor.
Recognizing the unique connection between Hynes and his fans, Silliman told EntertainmentNow, “I was like, ‘At some point, I’m doing a documentary on this.'”
Before fully committing to the project, though, Silliman wanted to make sure Hynes was okay with it. While interviewing him at the Christmas in a Small Town fan event in early August, she jumped at the chance to inform Hynes about her plans to make a documentary on his fans.
Silliman laughed, “He was just kind of like, ‘I’d watch that.’ And I’m like, ‘Okay, I’m going to take that as a yes!”
How to Get Involved in the Documentary About Tyler Hynes’ Fans
Silliman’s project is now full steam ahead. She has spent August pulling together a team that includes a fellow producer, director, and editor. She also launched a crowdfunding campaign to help raise the $25,000 needed to help get the movie made.
Among the expenses will be travel to fan gatherings at the Hallmark Christmas Experience in Kansas City and Christmas Con, held in New Jersey, where the filmmakers will interview Hynies.
Silliman is also collecting fans’ stories online through a form on her site, aiming not only to find compelling stories to share in the documentary, but also promising to feature everyone’s sweet stories online.
Aiming for an early 2027 release, Silliman told EntertainmentNow, “This is a love letter to the fans, really, essentially (to tell them) what you’ve created is just absolutely amazing. I wish everyone in the world could have, you know, that sense of community around something or someone that’s so positive.”
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Tyler Hynes’ Hallmark Fans Will Be Focus of New Documentary (EXCLUSIVE)