Hallmark Channel announces the development of two all-new Original Movies with #1 New York Times bestselling author and America’s favorite inspirational novelist, Karen Kingsbury. The network will produce two original movies based on the author’s celebrated “Life Changing Fiction™” and her award-winning contemporary romance titles, The Bridge and A Time to Dance. Emmy®-winning Executive Producers, reuniting their partnership after the success of “Door To Door” and “Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story,” David Rosemont (2013’s “Bonnie and Clyde”) and Everywhere Studios’ Dan Angel (“Christmas Comes Home to Canaan”) have partnered with Kim Arnott of Two 4 the Money Media and Fernando Szew of Mar Vista Entertainment, for both movies, to air exclusively on Hallmark Channel starting in 2015.
“Karen Kingsbury’s unmatched inspirational storytelling is a perfect fit for a partnership with the Hallmark Channel brand,” said Michelle Vicary, Executive Vice President, Programming for Crown Media Family Networks. “We’ve had extraordinary success working in collaboration with bestselling novelists and we know this partnership will be especially rewarding for our viewers as they connect to Karen’s remarkable stories on our network for the very first time.”
“The Bridge,” will be written by screenwriter Jamie Pachino (“Franklin & Bash”) and is scheduled for aHoliday 2015 World Premiere. The captivating romance follows Molly Allen, a woman who left her heart in Franklin, Tennessee with the man she walked away from in college. When Molly finds out The Bridge, a beloved bookstore back in Franklin, is in jeopardy along with the bookstore’s owner, she immediately returns to help, only to come face to face with her old flame, Ryan, again—along with a river of buried emotion. Molly agrees to do anything she can to help and as she and Ryan join forces to save The Bridge, their special bond reignites. Little does Molly know she is about to discover a long-held secret as she and Ryan rekindle the kind of love that can overcome all obstacles.
The second film in development, “A Time to Dance,” follows the bittersweet story of John and Abby. When their perfect marriage starts to fall apart, they make the sad decision to separate, but when they gather their children to tell them the news, their daughter interrupts with a surprise announcement of her own: she’s getting married! Determined not to ruin their daughter’s season of happiness, Abby and John secretly put their plans on hold. Despite their best efforts to keep their distance, the wedding plans bring them back together and help them to remember why they fell in love in what feels like a lifetime ago.
“Hallmark is a trusted name in TV and with my millions of readers,” Kingsbury said. “I am beyond thrilled to begin this partnership. My readers will count down the days till the first of these two future classic movies!”
Hailed by Time magazine as the “queen” of Christian fiction, Karen Kingsbury is a #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, earning her the distinction of America’s favorite inspirational novelist. With nearly 25 million copies of her award-winning books in print, Kingsbury’s stories have resonated with readers worldwide. Her last dozen titles have hit #1 on national lists, including her recent Redemption series featuring Kingsbury’s most unforgettable characters. Kingsbury is also a public speaker, reaching more than 100,000 women annually through various national events. She can be heard talking to listeners weekdays on “The Karen Kingsbury Show,” which launched in early 2014 on Salem Radio and TodaysChristianMusic.com. Kingsbury lives in Nashville with her husband, Don, and has five sons, three of whom were adopted from Haiti and an only daughter, Kelsey, an actress.