Jodie Sweetin’s New Hallmark Christmas Movie Is a Sequel to ‘Christmas Under Wraps’ With Candace Cameron Bure
A small town in Alaska called Garland. A handsome local man named Andy. Andy’s dad Frank, who runs a holiday shipping business and bears a striking resemblance to Santa Claus. If the details of Hallmark Channel’s new holiday movie A Cozy Christmas Inn sound a little familiar, there’s a good reason. The movie, which premieres Oct. 28 and stars Jodie Sweetin, is actually a sequel to Hallmark’s 2014 movie Christmas Under Wraps with Candace Cameron Bure.
What is ‘A Cozy Christmas Inn’ about?
In A Cozy Christmas Inn, Sweetin plays a junior real estate executive named Erika. Her boss Sharon Farris (Vivica A. Fox) is determined to get her hands on a quaint bed and breakfast in the Christmas-centric town of Garland, Alaska. She sends Erika to convince the owner to sell. But when Erika arrives in Garland, she’s stunned to realize that the B&B’s owner is none other than Andy Holliday (David O’Donnell), her ex-boyfriend from college.
As Erika spends time in town trying to convince Andy and his father Frank (Brian Doyle-Murray) to sell the property, she finds herself falling for both the charm of Garland and her ex-boyfriend. Once she learns that Andy’s business has been struggling and that he’s on the verge of bankruptcy, she decides to help him keep the hotel she’d been sent to purchase. But will there be enough time to turn things around before Christmas? And will Erika and Andy avoid repeating their past mistakes and discover how to live happily ever after?
The movie is a sequel to ‘Christmas Under Wraps’
A Cozy Christmas Inn is a sequel to Christmas Under Wraps. It’s not clear exactly how the two stories are connected, though they share a setting and a number of characters. O’Donnell and Doyle-Murray both reprise their roles from the 2014 movie. Paige Petrucka also returns as Hattie, the owner of Garland’s only restaurant. However, one actor definitely isn’t returning for the sequel. Bure won’t be back as Andy’s love interest Lauren Brunell.
In Christmas Under Wraps, Bure played a doctor who reluctantly took a job in Garland when her dreams of getting a prestigious fellowship at a big-city hospital were dashed. She ended up falling for both Garland and for Andy. At the end of the movie, she decided to stay in Alaska rather than return to the city.
Earlier this year, Bure left Hallmark after signing an exclusive deal with Great American Family. So, it’s no big surprise that she won’t appear in Christmas Under Wraps. But fans will have to wait and see exactly how her absence is explained in the movie’s sequel.
Candace Cameron Bure commented on the new movie on Instagram
Sweetin is stepping into Bure’s shoes in the Christmas Under Wraps sequel. But there doesn’t appear to be any bad blood between the former Full House co-stars as a result. Recently, Bure cheerfully acknowledged the connection between the two movies on social media.
“Tell Andy Dr. Brunel says Hi,” Bure commented on her TV sister’s Instagram post promoting the new movie.
A Cozy Christmas Inn airs Friday, Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. ET on Hallmark Channel.
For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s YouTube channel.
