Naman Shrestha
With Bradley Walsh occupying the director’s chair, Hallmark’s ‘Trading Up Christmas’ is a romantic Christmas movie that centers upon Michelle, a tireless optimist who is not devoid of fascinating ideas and solutions to help others and make the world a better place to live in. Right when the holiday season is near, she learns that her sister, Keri, has received an eviction notice from her current place of residence. As part of her creative and unconventional plan, Michelle decides to start with a Christmas stocking and trade her way up to a forever home for her beloved sister.
Although Keri fails to believe in Michelle’s vision, a local reporter named Dan finds the story intriguing and decides to cover it. Chasing a feel-good and wholesome holiday piece, he begins to follow her as she keeps trading up. Inevitably, as the two spend a lot of time together, they develop romantic feelings for one another. When her plan seems to be failing, Michelle feels disappointed in herself. However, that’s when Dan’s belief in her and her idea breathes new life into her. The setting of Christmas, with streets filled with colorful decorations and white snow, adds an extra layer of feel-good vibe to the narrative.
Where Was Trading Up Christmas Filmed?
‘Trading Up Christmas’ was filmed in its entirety in Ontario, particularly in Orangeville. Principal photography reportedly commenced in September 2024 and went on for more than a couple of weeks until the end of the same month. From what we can tell, the cast and crew members had a great time on set and took home many cherishable moments.
Orangeville, Ontario
A major portion of ‘Trading Up Christmas’ was lensed across the town of Orangeville, the seat of Dufferin County in south-central Ontario. Christmas came early in the bustling downtown, especially Broadway Street, as the production team turned the area between First Street and Second Street into a film set by adorning it with winter motifs, artificial snow, and frosting in windows. The cast and crew members took over several stores on Broadway to shoot various indoor scenes, such as Suzanne Gardner Flowers, Lavender Blue Catering (reportedly permanently closed), and Pear Home.
While the above-mentioned shops were closed during the shooting schedule, other businesses remained open for business and operated regularly. The exteriors of a few shops on the street, including Aardvark Music & Culture and Fire & Flower Cannabis Store, were also redecorated for the movie. In order to record certain sequences involving some child actors, the production team of ‘Trading Up Christmas’ also sets up camp on Mill Street in Orangeville. Over the years, the town of Orangeville has been featured in various productions, including ‘An Ice Wine Christmas,’ ‘Old Stock,’ ‘Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol,’ and ‘Schitt’s Creek.’
Trading Up Christmas Cast
In Trading Up Christmas, Italia Ricci plays Michelle alongside Michael Xavier as Michelle’s love interest, Dan. She is best known for her terrific portrayal of Emily Rhodes in ‘Designated Survivor,’ Sydney Burke in ‘The Imperfects,’ April Carver in ‘Chasing Life’ and Siobhan Smythe/Silver Banshee in ‘Supergirl.’ Her other works include ‘The Good Doctor,’ ‘House,’ ‘Don Jon,’ and ‘Unnatural History.’ A Hallmark regular, she can also be seen in ‘Love in Winterland,’ ‘Rome in Love,’ and ‘Catch Me If You Claus.’ Meanwhile, you may recognize Michael Xavier from his compelling performance as Teejay in ‘A Swingers Weekend,’ Paul Simmons in ‘Northern Rescue,’ Thomas in ‘The Expanse,’ and Detective Simmons in ‘Wild Cards.’
Aside from the aforementioned titles, Michael also has movies and shows like ’88,’ ‘Shazam!‘ and ‘Rookie Blue’ to his credit. The Hallmark production is also driven by the strong performances of a talented bunch of actors appearing in supporting roles. It comprises Paul Popowich as Mike Kuzora, Connie Manfredi as Sasha, Sarah Cleveland as Portia, and Christopher Seivright as Jack Bautissa. While Taylor Love steps into the character of Chloe, Duane Keogh dons the garb of Duke in the holiday-themed movie.
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