Naman Shrestha
With Jack C. Newell occupying the director’s chair, Hulu’s ‘Reporting for Christmas’ is a holiday romantic film that focuses on a rather serious and idealistic journalist named Mary Romero who hopes to play her role in making the world a better place to live in. Soon, she receives an assignment that requires her to head to a rural town and prepare a puff piece for Johnson Toys to honor their 40th anniversary right before Christmas. Upon reaching the town, Mary meets with the CEO of Johnson Toys Alton Johnson, and his handsome son, Blake.
Despite not setting off on the right foot, Mary and Blake begin bonding with each other as the latter shows her around the Christmas-loving town and educates her on the town’s rich history. The film is set in the fictitious town of Brunswick, Iowa, but it was shot in a completely different state.
Where Was Reporting for Christmas Filmed?
‘Reporting for Christmas’ was filmed in its entirety in Illinois, particularly in Lake County, Woodstock, and Chicago. The principal photography for the Christmas movie took place for 18 shooting days in late 2022, from early December to the last week of the same month. Luckily for you, we have gathered the necessary details regarding the specific locations that make an appearance in the Hulu film!
Lake County, Illinois
The shooting for ‘Reporting for Christmas’ was carried out in Lake County, which lies along the shores of Lake Michigan. Standing in for Iowa, the town of Long Grove served as one of the primary production locations for the holiday film. The cast and crew members made the most of a number of actual establishments and streets in the town, including Brothers’ Field at 340 Old McHenry Road, Enzo & Lucia Ristorante at 343 Old McHenry Road, Country House at 430 Robert Parker Coffin Road, and Sock Monkey Museum at 210 Robert Parker Coffin Road, all in Long Grove.
Moreover, the historic Village Tavern at 135 Old McHenry Road in Long Grove features in several scenes of the holiday movie as well. The filming unit traveled to the neighboring village and suburb of Vernon Hills where they set up camp in and around the premises of educational toy manufacturer Learning Resources and its sister company, hand2mind.
Other Locations in Illinois
For shooting purposes, the filming unit of ‘Reporting for Christmas’ also traveled to other locations across Illinois, including the city of Woodstock. To be specific, the Woodstock Square Historic District and the famous ‘Groundhog Day’ inn — The Cherry Tree Inn Bed and Breakfast at 344 Fremont Street in Woodstock — were utilized to record various pivotal sequences for the romantic movie. In addition, the city of Chicago hosted the production of the Jack C. Newell directorial with the locales of Downtown Chicago, WTTW’s Chicago Production Center, and Italian Village Restaurants, serving as prominent filming sites.
Reporting for Christmas Cast
‘Reporting for Christmas’ features a talented ensemble cast, with Tamara Feldman essaying the role of the protagonist, Mary Romero. The multi-talented personality has plenty of movies and TV shows to her name, making her a recognizable face in the industry as well as among the fans. Over the course of her successful acting career, she has been featured in ‘Perfect Stranger,’ ‘Something’s Wrong in Kansas,’ ‘Ovid and the Art of Love,’ ‘Dirty Sexy Money,’ and ‘Strange Angel.’ Opposite to Feldman is Matt Trudeau, who plays the character of Blake Johnson, the love interest of Mary Romero and the next in line to inherit the ownership of Johnson Toys.
Some of you might find his face familiar because Trudeau stars in several film and TV projects, including ‘Who Took My Daughter?,’ ‘Later Days,’ ‘Blood Quantum,’ ‘Chicago Fire,’ and ‘General Hospital.’ Apart from the lead actors, the Hulu production features a bunch of other talented actors who play supporting roles, namely D.B. Sweeney as Hank Dean, Maura Kidwell as Lexy Barnes, Ira Amyx as Phil, Jeremy Warner as Todd, Torrey Hanson as Alton Johnson, and Cedric Mays as Foreman. Moreover, Kimberly Michelle Vaughn as Brianna, Jon Hudson Odom as Dylan, Suzanne C Johnson as Bernice, Marika Mashburn as Roberta, and Kelvin John Davis as Crash, feature in the movie as well. While Cortney Hall features as the News anchor, Melanie Brezill portrays the receptionist in the holiday film.
Read More: Best Hallmark-Like Holiday Movies on Netflix
