News

We’re happy to share the news that ‘Hope Valley: 1874’ has been renewed. With our Chelsea Hobbs ( @chelseaxhobbs ). @hallmarkplus From @deadline Hope Valley: 1874 will be back for another go-round. Touting the series’ debut as “the most successful launch of a Hallmark+ series to date,” the streamer has renewed the popular When Calls The Heart prequel for a second season. The eight-episode Season 2 will premiere in 2027. The renewal news comes just ahead of the Season 1 finale, Thursday, May 7. Bethany Joy Lenz stars along with Benjamin Ayres, Jill Hennessy, Roan Curtis and Lachlan Quarmby. Also featured are Jedidiah Goodacre, Mila Morgan, Brad Abramenko and Chelsea Hobbs. Based on Janette Oke’s novel When Calls the Heart, the series explores the earliest days of the frontier settlement that later became Hope Valley, chronicling the courage, resilience and relationships that laid the foundation for the close-knit town viewers have come to love. Lenz portrays Rebecca Clarke, a recent widow who travels with her 11-year-old daughter Sarah (Morgan) to the Western Canadian frontier to escape a threat back home and make a fresh start following her husband’s death. When she discovers the boarding house she purchased sight unseen needed extensive renovations, Rebecca faced a tougher road ahead than she had imagined. Thanks to the fledgling community that embraces them – including local rancher and confirmed bachelor Tom Moore (Ayres), with whom she becomes close, and Hattie Quinn (Hennessy), a widow herself who runs the trading post with the help of her daughter Olivia (Curtis) – Rebecca and Sarah become an intrinsic part of the settlement and they begin to find their way. Helping keep the peace between the ranchers and gold prospectors who are at odds with each other is Constable Alexander Vaughn (Quarmby), who becomes smitten with Olivia, much to the dismay of local blacksmith Clayton Cooley (Goodacre), who has long harbored feelings for her. As the season comes to a close a sudden turn of events leaves their futures uncertain. #hopevalley1874 #hallmarkseries

The talented Rukiya Bernard ( @rukiya.bernard ) joins the cast of ‘Sundowning.’ From @deadline EXCLUSIVE: Principal photography on Ian McDonald’s Sundowning, the latest production from horror-focused banner Spooky Pictures, is underway in Vancouver and Deadline can reveal the cast. Elizabeth Dulau (Andor), Susanne Wuest (Industry) Rukiya Bernard (Yellowjackets) and Robbie G.K. (Heated Rivalry) have signed up to star in the psychological thriller. His new film follows a young musician with gerontophobia, whose irrational fear of ageing and death sees her neglect her dying parents. She seeks redemption by taking a position at a secluded end of life facility, but what begins as an act of penance soon unsettles her as she discovers the idyllic sanctuary hides a terrifying secret. Bernard is best known for her three seasons on Showtime’s Yellowjackets and Fox’s Chicken Sisters. She will next be seen in the hit AMC series The Audacity. #thriller #thrillerfilm

Julia Sarah Stone ( @reel.jss ) & Chad Willett ( @chad._.willett ) work the red carpet at last night’s ‘Off Campus’ premiere in Los Angeles. The Off Campus TV series, based on the novels by Elle Kennedy, premieres on Prime Video on May 13, 2026. All episodes of the first season, which follows the elite hockey team at Briar University, will be released at once, with the series already renewed for a second season #offcampus #offcampusseason2 #primevideo

An exciting new project for Hudson Williams ( @hudsonwilliamsofficial ) with a killer cast. @amazonmgmstudios From @deadline EXCLUSIVE: David Weil has commenced production on Tyrant, with four new additions to the L.A.-lensed Amazon MGM culinary thriller: I May Destroy You‘s Paapa Essiedu, Heated Rivalry breakout Hudson Williams, musician Omar Apollo (Queer), and fashion and lifestyle creator Nara Smith. Character details are under wraps. The actors join an ensemble led by Charlize Theron, Julia Garner, and Demi Moore. One of the few high-profile films shooting in Los Angeles this year, Tyrant‘s logline is being kept under wraps, but it’s said to be a high-stakes thriller in the vein of Wall Street and Whiplash set within New York City’s elite fine dining scene. Weil is directing from his own script, based on a story conceived with Cody Behan. Williams is one of the breakout stars of HBO Max and Crave’s cultural phenomenon Heated Rivalry, the queer hockey romance series now heading into its second season. He’s currently in production on the film Apparatus and will also be seen coming up in Netflix’s The Altruists and Crave’s Yaga. He is repped by CAA, Red Management, and Hansen Jacobson. #tyrantfilm #culinarythriller #thriller

This is going to be grand! Our hilarious Dustin Milligan ( @deucestain ) goes to Ireland. Can’t wait to see ‘Committed.’ From @deadline EXCLUSIVE: Canada‘s CBC and BBC Northern Ireland have greenlit Committed, a ten-part comedy co-production starring Schitt’s Creek actor Dustin Milligan and Derry Girls‘ Diona Doherty. The series will follow Milligan as Canadian Peter Hooley (Schitt’s Creek, Hot Frosty) as a recently divorced accountant who falls head over heels for Northern Irish woman Julie Johnston, played by Doherty (Derry Girls, Blue Lights), after a whirlwind weekend in Toronto. He crosses the Atlantic to declare his love, only to find himself in old-fashion and eccentric village in rural Northern Ireland. “Audiences are going to fall in love with this bold new comedy series,” said Jason Butler, BBC Northern Ireland Commissioning Editor. “We’ve a brilliant cast that viewers will be familiar with on both sides of the Atlantic – we’re delighted to welcome Dustin to these shores starring alongside our own Diona Doherty. And it’s fantastic for BBC Northern Ireland to link up with CBC on this innovative project helping to further develop and support the creative industry here and to bring a flavour of our Northern Ireland humour to comedy fans further afield.” “Committed brings together so many of the elements we value in great television: sharp writing, memorable characters and a story that bridges cultures in a genuinely entertaining way,” said Amy Cameron, co-founder and executive producer at Cameron Pictures. @bbcni @cbc @cbcgem

Look out for the talented Tony Giroux ( @tkgiroux ) and France Perras ( @thefranceperras ) in bilingual series ‘Surf Bay: West Coast.’ Shot between Britannia Beach, Vancouver and Tofino, Surf Bay, côte Ouest combines both French and English to create a coming-of-age series about surfing. Available on TV5+ @tv5plus April 24. Trailer here: https://www.tv5unis.ca/videos/bande-annonces/151219 @reign_films_ @locomotivemedia

The talented and busy Chad Willett ( @chad._.willett ) is set to recur on ‘Vought Rising.’ From @deadline EXCLUSIVE: James Wolk (Watchmen), Dylan Arnold (Lady in the Lake), Josh Randall (Station 19) and Chad Willett (Supernatural) have been cast in key recurring roles in upcoming The Boys prequel series Vought Rising at Prime Video. They join previously announced series leads Jensen Ackles and Aya Cash, who are reprising their roles, Soldier Boy and Stormfront, respectively, from the mothership series. Details on their characters are under wraps. The Boys series executive producer Paul Grellong serves as executive producer and showrunner on Vought Rising, which comes from the main creative auspices behind The Boys franchise, led by the mothership’s developer, executive producer and showrunner Eric Kripke. The series is produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios, in association with Kripke Enterprises, Point Grey Pictures, and Original Film. Willett has appeared in series regular and recurring roles on series such as Supernatural, Big Sky, and on films including Joan of Arc and Hector and the Search for Happiness. He’ll next be seen portraying Coach Jensen in Off Campus, Prime Video’s upcoming hockey romance series based on Elle Kennedy’s popular book series. He’s repped by RED Management. #theboysprequel @sonypicturestv @amazonmgmstudios

An exciting upcoming project for Hudson Williams ( @hudsonwilliamsofficial ) alongside Dylan O’Brien. From @deadline Dylan O’Brien (Twinless) and Hudson Williams (Heated Rivalry) have signed on to star in Apparatus, a darkly comedic thriller marking the feature directorial debut of Canadian actress Sofia Banzhaf (I Am in the World as Free and Slender as a Deer on a Plain). Written by Banzhaf and Grayson Moore (Cardinals), Apparatus follows struggling young rideshare driver Tyler (Williams) as he falls under the influence of a self-styled entrepreneur, JP (O’Brien), who offers him a future in his handheld-massager business. But what appears to be a dream opportunity unravels as JP pulls Tyler into a violent downward spiral. Williams broke out with his starring role opposite Connor Storrie in the cultural phenomenon Heated Rivalryfrom Crave and HBO, a queer hockey romance heading into its second season. Upcoming, he’ll also be seen in Netflix’s FTX series The Altruists, among other projects. He is repped by CAA, RED Management and Hansen Jacobson.

Congratulations to our clients on their 2026 Canadian Screen Academy Nominations: ‘Best Lead Performance – Drama Series’ Michelle Morgan ( @michellemorgan_ ) for ‘Lou Fleming’ in Heartland. Hudson Williams ( @hudsonwilliamsofficial ) for ‘Shane Hollander’ in Heated Rivalry. @official_heartlandoncbc @thecdnacademy @heatedrivalrycrave

Glad to see that our talented Fletcher Donovan ( @fletcher.donovan ) and Quinnie Vu ( @the.quinnie )are part of ‘The Dregs.’ From @deadline Recently wrapping production, The Dregs centers on a friends’ trip to the Italian Alps that takes a terrifying turn after they drink a cursed bottle of Grappa. Lang plays the antagonist, a bitter Alpine waiter whose family recipe for Grappa involves alchemy and witchcraft. Character details for the others remain under wraps. Other new additions include David Goren (California Schemin‘), Desiree Staples (My Divorce Party), Evan Bittencourt (Sugar), Kheon Clarke (SkyMed), Fletcher Donovan (Love Hard), Quinnie Vu (Fire Country), and Mike Stern (Mid-Century), who developed the project and is producing through Astral Plane, along with Yasir Anwar, Marco Allegri, Tinker, and Connor Martin, who made his directorial debut, working from his own script.