While it's true that most people think of the Hallmark Channel when it comes time to binge brand new Christmas movies every year, Netflix has slowly been stepping things up in that warm-feeling inducing genre for the past few holiday seasons. Last year, in fact, the streamer brought us the Vanessa Hudgens (and Vanessa Hudgens) led The Princess Switch, which featured the Hudges playing a duchess and a baker from Chicago who realize they look identical and decide to switch places during the Christmas season. Well, it would seem that Hudgens and Netlfix enjoyed being in business together, because she's just boarded another holiday film for the company, The Knight Before Christmas. And, this time, there's time travel.
As if a pleasant Christmas movie where two beautiful people fall quickly in love weren't enough, The Knight Before Christmas will add in the oh-so-familiar magic component which is common to many holiday films. The movie will focus on, you guessed it, a brave English knight who is forced to seek out his true quest when a sorceress accidentally sends him to the modern day from their medieval era. In our time, he, of course, discovers that he's falling into deep romantic love with a kind high school science teacher, who just so happens to be disenchanted by the whole idea of falling in love.
I don't know about you, but to me this already sounds like a curl up with a cozy blanket and a warm (possibly spiked) beverage holiday movie home run. For real, can I add this to my queue right now?
Hudgens isn't content to just act in The Knight Before Christmas, either. According to Deadline she will also executive produce the movie, alongside Brad Krevoy (who also served as executive producer on The Princess Switch and has a resume filled with Christmas movies), Amanda Phillips Atkins, Lorenzo Nardini, Jimmy Townsend and Eric Jarboe. The feature will be directed by Monika Mitchell (Lifetime's The Christmas Contract), written by Cara Russell and will also star Josh Whitehouse (Poldark, the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel).
Aside from the fact that The Knight Before Christmas has some holiday movie pedigree working for it behind and in front of the camera, it's hard not to be excited about having yet another Netflix-based Christmas film to dive into in the holiday season ahead. And, any lover of these movies who also enjoys the fact that they frequently deal in magical coincidences / real life Santa Claus / other hints or outright evidence that the holidays are a special time of year, should be especially excited about the time travel aspect.
I can already see how some of this will play out. Our medieval hero will be shocked that Vanessa Hudgens' teacher is allowed to work and wasn't married off by the age of 13. He will be incredibly surprised by any building larger than four stories, flummoxed by cars, confused by cell phones and possibly daunted by the sheer amount of everything that is everywhere. But, and this will be a very important but, he'll be a steadfast believer in love and capable, even in all his modern day mystification, of leading our heroine to a place where she can let her guard down and fall into his hunky loving arms. The big question will be whether she goes back in time with him (bad idea) or he stays put in our time.
Seriously, you guys, if you're not convinced that Vanessa Hudgens, she of the High School Musical legacy, has made a perfect choice in deciding to tackle The Knight Before Christmas I'm convinced that your holiday season might just be a mostly joyless affair. While there's no debut date set for The Knight Before Christmas right now, it's set to begin filming this April and will likely be ready to stream on Netflix before you put your holiday decorations up.
