Exclusive Interview
‘The Groomsmen’: Jonathan Bennett, Tyler Hynes & B.J. Britt Vow to Bring Love and Laughs in Hallmark Trilogy (VIDEO)
Dearly beloved, we have gathered here today to celebrate the blessed event that is The Groomsmen.
In a Hallmark first, the brand we count on to make our Christmas bright has developed its answer to the Marvel Universe. Only instead of superheroes, it’s super friends who come through for one another in a trilogy of films that launched last week.
“I came up with this idea because I got married two years ago, and I was in so many of my friends’ weddings as a groomsman, and I had so many of my best friends in my wedding as groomsmen,” explains executive producer Jonathan Bennett, who costars in the franchise with co-EP Tyler Hynes and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s B.J. Britt.
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“I always thought there was an interesting story to tell from the guy’s point of view [about] what you go through in your thirties and that kind of coming-of-age of like, ‘Wow, I’m an adult now and I’m making adult decisions and life is messy and I need my friends to support me and call me out on my stuff and keep me honest and also have fun with me, but also let me cry if I need to.’ I didn’t see a lot of stories being told like that.”
So Bennett and Hynes, both deep-rooted Hallmark royalty, came up with the concept of three Philly-based buddies—Pete (Britt), a kind-hearted pediatrician with a penchant for planning; Danny (Bennett), a baseball star with a heart of gold; and Jackson (Hynes), a stylish and charming social media agent—who have each others’ backs leading up to their biggest days of their lives.
On October 18, Hallmark+ dropped the first title, The Groomsmen: First Look, which focuses on Pete’s romance with a woman (Heather Hemmens) who lives halfway around the world. This week, it’s Danny’s slow-burn fall for his engaged business partner in The Groomsmen: Second Chances. On October 31, Jackson finds love and a lot of cooking tips in the Italian-set The Groomsmen: Last Dance.
“It feels like my movie is a bit of a culmination of all the above,” Hynes reveals, acknowledging the chemistry among the three actors. “We have these characters that we meet, we have these different love stories we’ve seen and helped each other through as friends and brothers. And then I’m sort of the last man standing in terms of that.”
Filmed in part across the Italy, Bulgaria, and Greece, the films are one of the first big swings for Hallmark+, the brand’s newly unveiled streaming service, and the investment in upping Hallmark’s quality shows onscreen. In addition to the spectacular locations and clever framing of the interconnected stories, The Groomsmen combines sparkle with a wit, optimism, and inclusivity that give audiences of every background and belief something to grab onto.
The Groomsmen: Second Chance, Movie Premiere, October 24, Hallmark+
