Jennifer Love Hewitt makes her long-awaited return to the Lifetime Network, this time as star and director.
The 45-year-old actress — who once joked about nearly killing Betty White — will reportedly star in and direct a new holiday film titled The Holiday Junkie. Deadline.
She will also executive produce the film, written by Anna White, based on Love Hewitt’s personal relationship with the Christmas holidays and the loss of her mother.
The film marks the return to Lifetime for Hewitt, who starred in the 2010 TV movie The Client List, which was turned into a Lifetime TV series that ran for two seasons.
The Holiday Junkie will be considered a tentpole of the network’s It’s A Wonderful Lifetime holiday movie for 2024, marking her first feature as a director after directing episodes of The Client List and Ghost Whisperer.
Jennifer Love Hewitt makes her long-awaited return to the Lifetime Network, this time as star and director.
The 45-year-old actress — who once joked about nearly killing Betty White — will star in and direct a new holiday film titled The Holiday Junkie, according to Deadline.
The story follows Andie (Hewitt), who runs a decorating and planning services company with her mother Mimi.
Her world collapses when Mimi dies, facing her first holiday without her beloved mother.
Faced with the challenges of running the business on her own, it will be a Christmas like no other… one in which Andie might even find love.
“Jennifer is loved by Lifetime and our viewers,” said Elaine Frontain Bryant, EVP, head of programming genres for A&E, Lifetime and LMN.
“We are thrilled to be working with her again on this special project that is dear to her heart and one of our cornerstones for our It’s a Wonderful Lifetime list,” she added.
Not only is it based on her own idea and a memory of her mother – who died of cancer in 2012 at the age of 67 – but it will also truly be a family affair.
She will star alongside her husband Brian Hallisay, who she tied the knot with in 2013, and their three children will also star.
“It is a special opportunity to direct and star in this film with my husband,” Hewitt said in a statement.
The story follows Andie (Hewitt), who runs a decorating and planning services company with her mother Mimi
Her world collapses when Mimi dies, facing her first holiday without her beloved mother
She currently stars as Maddie Kendall on the hit Fox series 9-1-1, which is on a summer hiatus
“And to be back home with Lifetime feels as good as Christmas magic!” she added in her statement.
Hewitt and writer White will also serve as executive producers alongside MarVista Entertainment’s Julianna Hays, Larry Grimaldi, Hannah Pillemer and Fernando Szew.
Neil Elman and Kate Tumanova will also produce for Elman Films, although it is unclear when Lifetime will release the film.
Hewitt launched a marketing and consumer brand known as The Holiday Junkie, and she has a book Inheriting Magic coming out December 10.
She currently stars as Maddie Kendall on the hit Fox series 9-1-1, which is on a summer hiatus.