Hallmark Unveils 34-Movie Christmas 2026 Lineup

Hallmark Channel is expanding its holiday calendar with 34 original movies for the 2026 edition of “Countdown to Christmas.” The 17th annual event begins Friday, October 16, and will run for 10 weeks, with new films premiering on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through December 20.

The schedule gives the network a steady weekend rhythm, plus additional premieres around Thanksgiving. Each new title is expected to reach Hallmark+ the day after its television debut, extending the event beyond the linear channel for streaming viewers.

Big settings and familiar faces

Three films are positioned as major attractions. “Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story” continues Hallmark’s NFL partnership with a Chicago Bears story starring Lyndsy Fonseca, Robert Buckley and Marsha Mason. “Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True” places Lacey Chabert and Travis Van Winkle at Walt Disney World, while “A Grand Biltmore Christmas” follows the 2023 time-travel romance “A Biltmore Christmas.”

The wider slate includes Janel Parrish, Tamera Mowry-Housley, Rachael Leigh Cook, Lori Loughlin, Andie MacDowell, Jonathan Bennett and other performers closely associated with holiday television. Stories range from magical ornaments and repeated Christmas Eves to family businesses, sports traditions and second-chance romances.

The franchise grows beyond movies

Hallmark is also bringing back “Mistletoe Murders” for a third season on Thursday, November 5. Sarah Drew and Peter Mooney return, with Catherine Bell and Holly Robinson Peete appearing as guest stars. On December 5, Bennett and Melissa Peterman will host “The Hallmark Christmas Experience: A Hometown Holiday,” which is set to include an early look at the company’s 2027 plans.

Hallmark programming chief Michelle Vicary described the event’s growth from four original movies in its first year to a round-the-clock holiday schedule built around 34 premieres and an original series. That scale makes the 2026 lineup less a short seasonal stunt than a full programming quarter, designed to keep viewers returning across television and streaming from mid-October until the final weekend before Christmas.