Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Hallmark Channel executives are shouting with joy as they come to Western New York to shoot the upcoming film, "Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story."
Samantha DiPippo of Hallmark Channel says there's a partnership with Skydance sports and the NFL. The process of picking the Bills to be centered around their next holiday movie started before this past Christmas.
"We were really thinking about who's our next team that we want to draft into our Countdown to Christmas lineup at Hallmark Channel, and the Bills were top of mind," said DiPippo in an interview with WBEN. "We were really thrilled once we met with the entire organization and how enthusiastic they were about Hallmark, and what this movie would mean to the city and to the 'Bills Mafia'."
The goal, according to DiPippo, is to bring authenticity to the movie, especially as it's filmed in Western New York.
"We actually went to the last game, the Bills played the Patriots right before Christmas. So we came up here and we shot a lot of second unit that weekend, but we spent a lot of time with Bills fans. We were at the tailgate, we were at the game, and really just getting a true feeling of what this team means to these fans and to the city," DiPippo said.
The storyline follows two families who are next door neighbors and diehard Bills fans.
"Our lead, Morgan's uncle, has been given gifts every year anonymously from someone, and she just finds out about it this Christmas. And so she decides to go on this journey with her neighbor and best friend, Dave, to find out who this mystery sender is," DiPippo explained.
The cast includes Holland Rodin and Matthew Doddario as the leads, along with Tracy Pollan, Caroline Aaron and Steve Schirippa. The film will also feature a number of current and former Bills players.
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DiPippo says she's had a lot of fun in Buffalo, and appreciates the wave of community support.
"I cannot express how much this community has come together. There's so many local businesses that have reached out to us and just been, 'How can we help? How can we be involved?'" she said. "They just are so thrilled to have us here, and we're thrilled to be here, honestly. So it's really been an unbelievable welcome, and the entire build organization could not be better to work with."
There's still no word on when the film will air, but Countdown to Christmas begins in October and runs through Christmas on the Hallmark Channel.