Hallmark’s holy trinity of hunks are again and, boy, are they having some rising pains.
On this glowing sequel to 2022’s top-rated cable film, Three Wiser Males and a Boy picks up 5 years after Three Smart Males and a Child noticed the Brenner brothers—firefighter Luke (Andrew Walker), anxious dog-therapist Stephan (Paul Campbell) and video-game developer Taylor (Tyler Hynes) uniting to care (and dance) for a child named Thomas that was left at Luke’s station proper earlier than Christmas, the brand new gem finds the siblings older, however possibly not as sensible because the title would indicate.
“We’ve all moved into completely different locations in our lives,” previews Campbell, who co-wrote each movies with fellow Hallmark fave Kimberley Sustad. “We’re 5 years later, the newborn’s a boy, he’s in first grade now, he’s six years previous.”
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As for the adults within the room, “Stefan has now written a guide,” Campbell continues. “He has satisfied himself and he’s making an attempt to persuade the world that he has completed away together with his mental-health struggles and that he’s a brand new man, assured. And we rapidly found that none of that’s true and he’ll quickly should journey by way of all of it once more.” Nonetheless, the hilarious actor provides, “He’s nonetheless engaging…he’s extra engaging and he’s taller.”
Sitting together with his costars, Campbell is clearly comfy with each his character’s arc and the corporate he retains, regardless that he and Sustad have cooked up tough and topical new dramas for each Walker and Hynes, as effectively.
Walker’s former ladies-man Luke, now domesticated with Thomas and his mother, is grappling with stability. “On paper, it appears like every part goes nice, however actually you see that he’s battling who he’s and he’s shedding these identifiers for him,” explains the actor, who additionally has Jingle Bell Run on the scheduled this season. “He was the principle man on the hearth station. He was the younger man that might do the heavy lifting. He lived a single life…now he’s a dad and that’s an important factor to him,” presents Walker. “[But] 5 years have flown by and he’s misplaced observe of who he’s.”
And Taylor? “He appears to be the worst of them,” laughs Hynes. “He appears to be making an attempt his hardest.” Confronted with a dead-end in his startup, the perpetually single toothpick addict “is reaching for one thing massive [in his career] and he can’t get there however he’s not giving up.” Neither is he placing up a lot battle when the prospect arises for the brothers to maneuver again in with their widowed mother (the all the time fantastic Margaret Colin) for the vacations. In truth, he’s the one who suggests it, regardless of all three of the fellows bristling at her sudden new romance with the native pastor. As Campbell places it, “the place the place they’re most secure turns into unsafe when mother’s new boyfriend exhibits up and triggers all of those questions on identification and who’re we on this world and what’s our function and what’s our place.”
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The trio quickly will get a reminder of the place they stand and what issues most after a basic Brenner mishap lands them a gig overseeing the Christmas pageant at Thomas’s (Miles Marthaller) college. Earlier than lengthy, they’re pulling out the previous elf tights and hash out some even older gripes, all whereas delivering the identical type of on-screen chemistry and comedy that made Child such a smash. Added bonus: attending to let unfastened with their littlest scene companions.
“There was one scene that didn’t make this lower,” reveals Walker. “We simply let the youngsters wrap us up in wrapping paper, and it was truly Tyler’s concept. He’s like, ‘Children go loopy on us after which maintain the cameras going.’ We solely had three to 4 minutes left that we might shoot within the day.”
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“We’re imagined to be shedding management of the youngsters within the scene and it wasn’t actually studying,” provides Campbell. Till, Hynes jumps in, “I gave them weapons.”
“After which they’re hitting us and wrapping us and tying us up,” Campbell recollects. “And it was absolute chaos…the youngsters went ham.”
Given how issues end up on the finish of the movie (no spoilers!), might there be a possible third installment within the works? Provided that it’s on the viewers’s want checklist. “We will likely be listening and we’ll take that into no matter future enjoyable which may happen,” admits Hynes. “There’s no scarcity of enjoyable that we now have on set and we love working collectively.”
Smart reply.
Three Wiser Males and a Boy, Film Premiere, Saturday, November 23, 8/7c, Hallmark Channel