Latest news with #Hallmark
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hallmark Star, 53, Makes Major Career Announcement
Hallmark Star, 53, Makes Major Career Announcement originally appeared on Parade. Hallmark actress Jennie Garth is set to release a memoir. On June 25, People magazine confirmed the exciting news — and shared a photo of the book's cover. The title is the same as the name of Garth's podcast, I Choose Me. "Inspired by her thought-provoking podcast of the same name – Jennie brings her signature mix of warmth, honesty and humor to this deeply personal book about self-discovery and reclaiming your power," an official synopsis reads. "Through fame, heartbreak, motherhood and personal reinvention, Jennie discovered the transformative power of putting herself first. By learning to prioritize her own needs and desires, she found the strength to thrive — and to uplift others." Garth, 53, has also shared a statement about the book, which will be released in April 2026. 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 "I wanted to share the messy, beautiful truth of what it takes to rediscover yourself — through motherhood, heartbreak, aging and reinvention. My hope is that every woman who reads it feels seen, supported and inspired to put herself first without," she said. Earlier this month, Garth made headlines when she posted photos from a shoot that she did for Third Love. "I never thought I'd be doing my first underwear shoot at 53… but here we are! And I've never felt more confident, or comfortable in my skin," she captioned an Instagram post. "I'm proud to be part of this moment—not just because it's a first for me, but because it's with a brand that genuinely supports women through every phase of life, including menopause." Hallmark Star, 53, Makes Major Career Announcement first appeared on Parade on Jun 25, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Outlander: A Few Verra Good Reasons to Give Lord John His Own Spinoff Series
Warning: This post contains spoilers for the verse, including but not limited to events that happen in the books and the Lord John novels/novellas. Proceed with caution, aye? In the midst of another Droughtlander, how do Fraser aficionados entertain ourselves? We revisit the idea of spinoff TV series centered on David Berry's Lord John Grey. More from TVLine Prime Video Launches Hallmark+/Starz Streaming Bundle - Here's How to Sign Up Mariska Hargitay Thinks Benson and Stabler Should Get Together in SVU's Last Episode - Respectfully? Nope. Outlander: Blood of My Blood Renewed for Season 2 Ahead of Series Premiere Here's a short primer for those unfamiliar with author Diana Gabaldon and her work: Lord John is a British military man who was the governor of Ardsmuir Prison, where Jamie was an inmate in Season 3. The two struck up an improbable friendship in spite of the fact that Grey is a gay man with feelings for the Scot, who doesna feel the same. Since then, John has become one of Jamie's closest friends and even agreed to raise Jamie's illegitimate son, William. (Long story.) At the current point in Starz series' adaptation of the novels, Lord John and Jamie are on the outs after Jamie beat him up for sleeping with Jamie's wife, Claire. (Much, much longer story — find out more about it here.) Lord John also is the central character of his own line of novels and novellas, which are set in the same universe as Outlander both before and after John meets the Frasers. Outlander's Final Season: Everything We Know So Far View List Yes, Starz already has an Outlander spinoff — the prequel Outlander: Blood of My Blood, which tells the story of Jamie and Claire's parents — coming in August. But all of this means that there's ample source material for another TV show, starring Berry and chronicling Grey's exploits in London and beyond. The actor himself told our sister site Deadline that such a series had been in the works at one point, but 'ultimately, at the time, it was decided that that wasn't the right fit, or wasn't the right thing for them. I was prepared to do it, and I'm still prepared to do it.' The more we think of it, the more we need this series to come to fruition: Lord John's story is dramatic, intriguing and inherently sexy (at one point, he says to Jamie, 'I tell you, sir — were I to take you to my bed — I could make you scream. And by God, I would do it.' TRY TO TELL US YOU'RE NOT INTERESTED NOW). Plus, there are plenty of opportunity for familiar faces — a certain redhead, perhaps? — to make an appearance or two. Scroll down to see all of our verra good reasons for Starz to greenlight a Lord John spinoff, then hit the comments with rationale of your own! While Outlander is historical fiction with a splash of time-travel, Diana Gabaldon's Lord John stories wrap historical fiction around mysteries. A potential spinoff television adaptation could be Sherlock-style fun, with a compelling leading man using his sleuthing skills to solve the problems (and often murders) at hand. Lord John is a closeted gay man in both the Outlander series and his own string of stories, but that in no way means he lives like a monk. A standalone series could explore his rather varied tastes in romantic partners… … including Hanoverian Capt. Stephan Von Namtzen (whom we've dream cast here with TURN: Washington's Spies' Ian Kahn… … or maybe even Sleepy Hollow alum Neil Jackson)… … and indigenous guide-with-benefits Manoke (whom we wouldn't mind seeing Dark Winds' Kiowa Gordon play). Those familiar with Gabaldon's Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade and The Scottish Prisoner know that John has more run-ins with Jamie during his years as a prisoner than the Starz series has depicted. These range in tone (that scene in the stable, woah) and circumstance (trip to Ireland, anyone?) and offer a fuller picture of the two men's path to hard-won friendship… … which is a verra good reason for Outlander's Sam Heughan to make a guest appearance or two, aye? Speaking of characters who appear in both of Gabaldon's fiction streams, a Lord John spinoff would give us more time with the deliciously wicked Geillis Duncan, with whom Grey has a very interesting conversation in Lord John and the Plague of Zombies. Meanwhile, Percy Wainwright — the mysterious man whom the Starz series introduced in Season 7 — makes his debut in a Lord John novella and later shows up in the Outlander novels; he'd be another easy crossover character. Would watch a Lord John spinoff? Hit the comments and let us know why or why not! Best of TVLine 20+ Age-Defying Parent-Child Castings From Blue Bloods, ER, Ginny & Georgia, Golden Girls, Supernatural and More Young Sheldon Easter Eggs: Every Nod to The Big Bang Theory (and Every Future Reveal) Across 7 Seasons Weirdest TV Crossovers: Always Sunny Meets Abbott, Family Guy vs. Simpsons, Nine-Nine Recruits New Girl and More
Calgary Herald
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Made for smartphones, verticals are bringing much needed work to Hollywood North
Article content Actor Nic Westaway's resumé has a notable thread running through it. Article content 'I think I've played 10 billionaires, maybe 12,' he said. Article content Since last year, the Vancouver-based actor has been a sought-after star in the world of verticals, also known as micro-dramas. The Australian transplant, who did four seasons on the hit Australian soap opera Home and Away, has starred in 19 verticals in the last 1½ years. Article content Article content Meant to be watched on your phone, verticals are feature film-length stories typically broken down into 70 to 150 episodes of 60 to 90 seconds each. Article content Article content 'It's this weird mash up. It's like, if Hallmark and telenovela had a throuple with a B movie is how I like to describe it,' said Vancouver actor Alicia Read, who has made 10 verticals to date. Read, along with a few others, has formed the Vertical Film & Short Series Alliance ( to help TV Land film people navigate the exploding world of verticals. Article content The stories are watched using vertically oriented apps such as ReelShort, FlickReels, DramaBox and GoodShort. Each platform usually offers between 10-20 free, cliffhanger-packed, episodes to hook the viewer. After that, it will cost you US$20 to US$40 to continue to view. Article content 'They know when people are clicking. They know how far they go in before they start to lose interest,' said Vancouver casting agent Monika Dalman, who notes she has lost count of the number of verticals projects she has worked on since 2023. Dalman's stopped counting after number 40. 'They know what specific cliffhangers are making people pay for the rest of it.' Article content They also decide via data what the next scripts will be. Article content Article content Article content 'I'm all in on this sector,' said Jimmy Wu, a producer/cinematographer and founder of Vancouver production company Vertical film Vancouver/Section Cinema Inc., which has 20 vertical projects to its credit. Article content An early adopter, Wu produced his first vertical in December 2023. For each project, Wu employs anywhere between 20 and 40 cast members, 95 per cent of whom are local. Article content Article content The way things typically work is a company reaches out to a producer and gives them a script from a previously produced project, most likely from an Asian market. It is then westernized. Article content The plots lean toward revenge or rags-to-riches stories, with a soap opera/telenovela flavour. There are hidden identities, lost loves, unknown fortunes — and sometimes werewolves, vampires, and more billionaires than Mar-a-Lago's membership list. The narratives are big on dramatic gasps and slapping.
Vancouver Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
Made for smartphones, verticals are bringing much needed work to Hollywood North
Actor Nic Westaway's resumé has a notable thread running through it. 'I think I've played 10 billionaires, maybe 12,' he said. Since last year, the Vancouver-based actor has been a sought-after star in the world of verticals, also known as micro-dramas. The Australian transplant, who did four seasons on the hit Australian soap opera Home and Away, has starred in 19 verticals in the last 1½ years. Meant to be watched on your phone, verticals are feature film-length stories typically broken down into 70 to 150 episodes of 60 to 90 seconds each. Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'It's this weird mash up. It's like, if Hallmark and telenovela had a throuple with a B movie is how I like to describe it,' said Vancouver actor Alicia Read, who has made 10 verticals to date. Read, along with a few others, has formed the Vertical Film & Short Series Alliance ( to help TV Land film people navigate the exploding world of verticals. The stories are watched using vertically oriented apps such as ReelShort, FlickReels, DramaBox and GoodShort. Each platform usually offers between 10-20 free, cliffhanger-packed, episodes to hook the viewer. After that, it will cost you US$20 to US$40 to continue to view. 'They know when people are clicking. They know how far they go in before they start to lose interest,' said Vancouver casting agent Monika Dalman, who notes she has lost count of the number of verticals projects she has worked on since 2023. Dalman's stopped counting after number 40. 'They know what specific cliffhangers are making people pay for the rest of it.' They also decide via data what the next scripts will be. 'I'm all in on this sector,' said Jimmy Wu, a producer/cinematographer and founder of Vancouver production company Vertical film Vancouver/Section Cinema Inc., which has 20 vertical projects to its credit. An early adopter, Wu produced his first vertical in December 2023. For each project, Wu employs anywhere between 20 and 40 cast members, 95 per cent of whom are local. The way things typically work is a company reaches out to a producer and gives them a script from a previously produced project, most likely from an Asian market. It is then westernized. The plots lean toward revenge or rags-to-riches stories, with a soap opera/telenovela flavour. There are hidden identities, lost loves, unknown fortunes — and sometimes werewolves, vampires, and more billionaires than Mar-a-Lago's membership list. The narratives are big on dramatic gasps and slapping. 'I lost count of how many times I've slapped and been slapped. It's crazy,' said Read. 'There's actually a fan account called vertical slaps. It's hilarious.' Wu confirms the high slap count. 'My first script, I counted 50 slaps,' said Wu. 'It's ridiculous, but that's what people watch.' Started in China about seven years ago, verticals began to gain steam in North America during the post-pandemic shift away from TV screens and home computers to phones as people began to commute and travel again. Some of the shows are getting hundreds of millions of views. According to Variety, the 2024 global market (excluding China) for verticals/micro-dramas was worth US$2 billion. That number is expected to double in 2025. China is the world leader in verticals. According to Variety , Chinese state media reported the sector had total revenues of US$5.2 billion in 2023, about 70 per cent of the country's theatrical cinema market. It has been estimated that 30-40 vertical projects are shot in Los Angeles each month. In Vancouver, the number is around 20 a month. 'In British Columbia, where the motion picture industry combines a long history of creation and production, a strong independent scene, and a world-class production ecosystem, vertical productions have exciting potential for existing and emerging talent to explore scalable content for global markets,' Prem Gill, CEO of Creative B.C., said in an email to Postmedia. While budgets are low on verticals, the level of expertise on the shoots is top-notch. 'I can trust the crew,' said Dom Cutrupi, a producer-writer-director who has worked on many Hallmark and Lifetime movies and has made 12 verticals. 'I've done two (vertical) rom-coms and my camera team had the experience of like, 60 Hallmarks each.' With budgets usually running from US$120,000 to US$200,000, verticals tend to average around eight days of shooting. That tight schedule, says Westaway, is a heck of a training ground for young cast and crew. 'What comes out the back end, I think, is super impressive,' said Westaway. 'People are setting up and delivering so quickly with such a limited time … getting through the amount of pages that we do in a script is crazy. So, you take that person in whatever position they're in, and you put them on a feature film or a Netflix series or something like that, and their skills are going to be so dialed in when you have more time and more takes and more space. You're going to be very wel-equipped to do an amazing job on whatever comes your way in your career.' The rise of verticals is well timed for those who work in TV/film production, as the business around the world is down by around 25 per cent. That slump has left many workers here in Hollywood North struggling since the halcyon days of half a decade ago, when streamers were practically backing up trucks filled with money. 'What they're saying is how much they're grateful for them,' said Sammie Astaneh, founder/producer of Service Street Pictures, of local cast and crews. 'They would be out of work. They would have to maybe get jobs at a restaurant or anything to make ends meet.' Aryn Mott, a Vancouver intimacy coordinator, has done 30 verticals. Mott is one of the TV/film production workers who is thrilled to see verticals taking off here. 'Over the past several months, verticals have provided consistent, meaningful work at a time when traditional production has contracted across the globe,' said Mott. Mott, who has worked on such mainstream titles as Shōgun and Resident Alien, has heard different feedback from others in the business. 'Some see verticals as an exciting, accessible frontier; others see them as a space with underdeveloped standards. Both perspectives have merit,' said Mott. 'As the format grows, we're witnessing a clear divide between companies that prioritize ethical, values-based collaboration and those that operate purely from a product-driven standpoint.' Verticals are non-union productions. The local Directors Guild and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees allow members to work on verticals while the unions try to figure out agreements. 'We have to sort of navigate how we're going to classify productions like this,' said Crystal Braunwarth, business representative at IATSE Local 891. 'I actually went to a vertical set and did a visit and opened dialogue with producers on tailor-making a union agreement with the council, so with the Teamsters, with us and with the camera union. We're actually working on a contract right now for a vertical production team . … A lot of our members are working on these shows anyway, so it makes sense for us to tailor and make an agreement.' Actors with UBCP/ACTRA, the B.C. branch of the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists, are not working on these projects. 'Our members remain committed to upholding industry standards we've fought for so long to establish, including minimum rates, health and safety protections, and limits on the use and exploitation of our names, images, and likenesses. They also rely on the union and collective agreements to safeguard these vital protections,' Keith Martin Gordey, president of UBCP/ACTRA and vice-president of ACTRA national, said in an email to Postmedia. 'For that reason, our members only work on productions signed to a union collective agreement.' But that could change. Gordey's statement also said the union has consulted with vertical platforms and producers, and the union hopes producers will sign on to a union agreement. The union is working to sign an agreement with one producer. According to the tracking site Appfigures, ReelShort is No. 1 in revenue with $52 million in the first quarter of 2024 with DramaBox No. 2 at $35 million. Together that's just over 60 per cent of the revenue of the top 10 apps. 'Investors see this as a smaller and lower-risk investment as opposed to traditional movies, which are a big, larger-risk investments,' said Wu. 'You can make one of these with a 15th of a budget of an indie movie. 'So, instead of one chance of release and seeing how it goes, you have 15 chances.' Wu said tone in 10 of these series will become extremely popular. 'That's why I think investors are looking into this sector and really pumping this sector out,' said Wu. While production budgets are low, companies often spend 10 times the production budget on promoting a series. Figuring out the most successful verticals is difficult as the apps keep viewing figures secret. According to Jen Cooper, a verticals expert who runs the U.K.-based Vertical Drama Love YouTube channel and Instagram account, one of the biggest hits is The Divorced Billionaire Heiress with Mariah Moss and Hunter Kohl, which has had over 360 million views worldwide. Actors have wide-ranging payment experiences for these projects ranging from a few hundred dollars for a 12-hour day to a few thousand dollars for the most popular players in the verticals world. The average union day rate for a principal performer in Hollywood North is just $1,000 for eight hours. But those in the business have seen changes in just a year. 'I know for me, and I don't want to speak specifically dollars, but I can tell you that my rate has tripled since I first started,' said Read. 'I've been able to successfully negotiate much higher rates, things like transport to set, you know, stuff like that, on my own. Because I'm known to the clients, and I'm known to the producers.' Westaway, who is top of the acting food chain in the sector, has been able to secure bigger payments. 'I've done my best to negotiate for higher rates along the way,' said Westaway. In his first two verticals, he was paid less than a production assistant. 'It did start off with quite tight budgets as they sort of investigated how successful they were going to be up here.' According to industry insiders and some reports, women are by far the largest audience for verticals in North America. Because of this, Dalman points out casting of movie-of-the-week regulars is common. 'They have a number of actors that have been in Hallmarks,' said Dalman. 'And they have a huge fan base.' Cooper is part of that demographic and says even before she began her website and YouTube channel, she was hooked on verticals. 'Vertical dramas vary hugely in quality, but they contain some real gems — sharp comedy, clever in-jokes, pitch-perfect romances. Some of the most talented people in the business are working here,' Cooper says. 'They deliver the escapism and dopamine hit I'm looking for, all in 90 minutes on my phone — and then I can get on with my life.' Vancouver's Read had all but given up on a screen career until verticals appeared. 'To be honest, I wasn't really taking it seriously until this quote-unquote mid-life category opened up for me,' said Read, who is 50. 'What was happening when they first launched was that they were skewing very young … Then they started to open up this category that they called the mid-life category.' The apps, which are home to thousands of these series, are almost entirely owned by overseas companies. Aside from Quibi, Jeffrey Katzenberg's ill-fated — too long at 10 minutes and too expensive — short-form streaming service that went away after six months, the major American studios haven't crossed the digital breach. But experts say it's inevitable. 'There was a lot of industry excitement about Netflix looking at verticals, but at the moment, they are just reformatting some of the horizontal content into vertical format for marketing,' said Cooper. Cooper has heard that Disney is looking closely at verticals. The category was a popular topic at Cannes this year. 'A lot of the players in the space, have come from a tech background rather than studio background, so Meta is looking at it, and tech companies in India had just got seed funding,' said Cooper referring to Mobile entertainment startup ReelSaga. Those in the business agreed that verticals are set to grow as more people shift to watching content on their phones. 'It's a massive change of where the business is going,' said Cutrupi. 'This one is actually growing in front of our face.' Dgee@
Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
‘When Calls the Heart' co-stars Erin Krakow and Ben Rosenbaum tie the knot
In true Hallmark fashion, 'When Calls the Heart' co-stars Erin Krakow and Ben Rosenbaum found love on set. Now, the two are officially married. The newlyweds, who have appeared in the period drama since the show debuted in 2014, confirmed their union Monday with a joint Instagram post of photos from their wedding, captioned with a simple infinity symbol. Krakow, 40, and Rosenbaum, 38, first sparked romance rumors in 2023 when Krakow revealed on Instagram that they had adopted a dog, Willoughby, together. But it wasn't until a year later that the two confirmed their relationship on Valentine's Day. The actors, who have kept their relationship relatively private, surprised fans with news of their nuptials. 'Y'all dropped a whole wedding like it was a Tuesday fit check,' one social media user commented. 'Plot twist of the year!!' But this isn't the first marriage to come out of 'When Calls the Heart.' Last September, co-stars Kevin McGarry and Kayla Wallace also wed. 'I'm still crying. My favorite pairing!' Wallace commented on Krakow and Rosenbaum's post, adding wine and cheese emojis. 'Beautiful pictures, beautiful friends, beautiful husband and wife - xo,' McGarry wrote. 'When Calls the Heart' is Hallmark Channel's longest-running original series and was recently renewed for a 13th season, scheduled to premiere in 2026. The release date has not yet been announced. Krakow stars as Elizabeth Thornton (and also serves as an executive producer) and Rosenbaum plays Mike Hickam on the popular Western.
