Jonathan Bennett and Brooke D’Orsay will star in and produce the Hallmark film Wedding of a Lifetime. Bennett’s exclusive multi-picture contract with Crown Media Family Networks was just announced by Deadline. When Darby and Jake, a couple on the edge of separation, are accepted into a famous daytime romance competition show, the narrative takes a turn for the worst. Their friends, family members, and occupations depend on them keeping up appearances and being on the show. Or will they get lucky and discover that they’re meant to be together?
As the love interest in the cult film Mean Girls (2004), it’s possible that most people have heard of Bennett. His career was taken off since then, with appearances on Dancing With the Stars and Celebrity Big Brother under his belt, not to mention the publication of his own cookbook. His last Hallmark role was as Nick in Elevator Girls, so this isn’t his first time working with the network. Additionally, he and his partner James Vaughn became the first openly homosexual couple to grace the cover of The Knot. A Dickens of a Holiday! and Grace and Frankie made D’Orsay a household name. Why Can’t I Be a Movie Star? which came out in 2001, was her first significant film role.
As Caitlin Cooke in the animated series, 6teen, she had her second most memorable role. The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother, Royal Pains, and Nickelodeon’s Boy Who Cried Werewolf have all included D’Orsay as a guest star. Elizabeth Yost, Crown Media’s Senior Vice President of Development and Programming, spoke to Deadline about the film and lauded the chemistry between Bennett and D’Orsay, saying: “It’s a great movie, and it’s a great cast.” Our fans have learned to anticipate lighthearted romantic comedies from us, and this one does not disappoint. The chemistry between Jonathan Bennett and Brooke D’Orsay is palpable, and their fans will be cheering for them from the get-go.
Bennett said that he was both an actor and a filmmaker on the project, saying:
I enjoy working with Hallmark and am happy to have the opportunity to do so on a new project as an executive producer. Acting in these films is always exciting, but working on the filmmaking side and collaborating with such amazing individuals behind the scenes has been a whole new and wonderful experience. I hope the fans like this narrative as much as I do.
Lighthouse Pictures is behind the production of Wedding of a Lifetime. Kristofer McNeeley will also serve as executive producer with Bennett. Producers include Shawn Williamson, Jamie Goehring, and Kevin Leslie, and director Anne Wheeler is on board as well. Greg Baldwin wrote the script. After a successful first year with Crown Media, fans of Hallmark movies can look forward to Bennett’s next project. Watching Bennett’s future projects with Crown Media is an exciting prospect.