Upamanyu Biswas
Hallmark’s ‘Private Princess Christmas’ tells a warm, whimsical Christmas story through the eyes of a princess named Violet. As the next heir to the throne of Wingravia, Vi’s privileges as a royal are tested after her mother, the Queen, orders her to complete a rigorous military boot camp in Colorado to prove her mettle. However, upon arrival, the young woman’s hopes are dashed by a stoic supervisor, Captain Ryan Douglas, who makes her life in the camp as difficult as possible. Under the direction of Paul Ziller, the movie embraces the warm tones of the holiday season, bringing it to life through a mix of snowy backdrops and remote wintry woods. As such, the elevated drama attains a light-hearted atmosphere, which only helps accentuate its feel-good vibe.
Private Princess Christmas Filming Locations
Though ‘Private Princess Christmas’ is largely set in Colorado, it was actually filmed in British Columbia. The team utilized the diversity of locales available in the province to build a heightened world perfectly suited to Vi’s journey as a Royal and a trainee in the woods. The region is a favorite for Hallmark productions, particularly because it can be molded to fit whatever backdrop is needed for a specific show or movie. In the case of the Paul Ziller directorial, the area brought the prerequisite Christmas vibe through the creation of Wingravia, a fictional snowy kingdom in Europe. The region also offered the best cover for the military boot camp scenes, which are the heartbeat of the narrative. Thus, the wide range of available filming sites helped the production crew seamlessly weave a world out of nothing.
British Columbia
As the westernmost province of the nation, British Columbia is known for its natural beauty and picturesque urban neighborhoods. One of the advantages of filming in the area is that its locales are identical to other places worldwide. With a degree of polish, specific towns and cities can be transformed to fit the look of a certain neighborhood elsewhere. Such was the case in ‘Private Princess Christmas,’ as the production crew utilized every inch of the province’s natural geography to authentically create the environment in which Vi completes her boot camp training. Additionally, her kingdom of Wingravia also found its home in British Columbia, as the crew used certain buildings and natural shots to bring to life the exotic European nation.
Naturally, the use of snow in every scene builds a sense of connection to the Christmas aesthetic dripping through every frame of the movie. The exterior scenes in the forest were shot at local forests in the province, using the geodiversity of the region to full benefit. Moreover, the snowy wonderland vibes are capped off by the interior shots intermittently placed throughout the film, which were taped inside decorated local venues. The sense of wonder and magic is reminiscent of Hallmark productions, doubling down on the fantastical atmosphere indicative of its holiday season tone. It promotes a feeling of warmth and coziness despite being set against a winter-time backdrop, characteristic of all Christmas narratives.
Private Princess Christmas Cast
Ali Skovbye headlines ‘Private Princess Christmas’ as Princess Violet. The actress is known for her roles as Emma in ‘Breakthrough,’ Emma Vanderbilt-Cross in ‘Gilded Newport Mysteries: Murder at the Breakers,’ Young Tully in ‘Firefly Lane,’ and Rose in ‘Imperfect High.’ She can also be seen in ‘The Man in the High Castle,‘ ‘Roux the Day: A Gourmet Detective Mystery,’ ‘The Corruption of Divine Providence,’ and ‘Secrets of My Stepdaughter.’ Alongside Skovbye, Derek Klena appears as Ryan Douglas. Klena is prominently regarded for playing Adam Turnbull in ‘The Code,’ Cormac Phillips in ‘Blue Blood,‘ and Wes in ‘Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin.‘ He is the recipient of a Tony Award nomination for his role as Nick Heally in the Broadway musical ‘Jagged Little Pill.’
Meanwhile, Erica Durance essays the character of the Queen of Wingravia. She is a veteran actress with a long list of credits under her name. She is particularly recognized for starring in ‘Smallville’ as Lois Lane, ‘Saving Hope’ as Dr. Alex Reid, ‘The Butterfly Effect 2’ as Julie Miller, and ‘Stranded’ as Carina. Other notable cast members of ‘Private Princess Christmas’ include Kheon Clarke as Tucker Finch, Tanja Dixon-Warren as Squibby, and Aman Mann as Sateen. The Hallmark film also features Louriza Tronco as Noelle Latrel and Ingrid Park as Marlena Li in supporting roles.
Read More: Hallmark’s A Dance in the Snow: Filming Locations and Cast, Explored
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