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Hallmark's ‘When Calls the Heart’ Season 13 brings back legendary actress in surprise move after 10 years

Brooke Shields will reprise her role as Charlotte Thornton in a three-episode arc

Brooke Shields will return in season 13 of 'When Calls the Heart'. The long-running Hallmark drama will see the 'Pretty Baby' star reprise her role as Charlotte Thornton for three episodes. She previously appeared in the third season in 2016 for two episodes. At the time of writing, details of her part as Jack's (Daniel Lissing) mother are under wraps. The new season is slated for a 2026 release.

It was a dramatic finish to season 12 earlier this season, with Elizabeth (Erin Krakow) and Nathan (Kevin McGarry) heading to stay at Thornton's boarding house. According to Variety, the new season will see "a heartwarming connection between Charlotte and her grandson, Little Jack (Hyland Goodrich), as she helps him reconnect with memories of his father."

"We’re thrilled to welcome back Brooke Shields to the ‘When Calls the Heart’ family,” said Michelle Vicary, Hallmark Media's head of programming. "Her first appearance on the series was memorable for our fans, and we know the Hearties will be delighted to see Charlotte’s emotional and heartwarming reunion."

Speaking to PEOPLE, Shields weighed in on reprising her role as Thornton. "What’s been difficult is just adapting to 1922 from where I was because the jump is just so extreme," she told the outlet. "But we're also seeing Charlotte evolve, which has been interesting. We create a path for her to modernize."

She further added that there was also less horseback riding for the character. "She’s not riding horses anymore, which is sort of sad because I really liked that," Shields says with a laugh. "I liked sort of swashbuckling in." Her introduction in the drama was a bold arrival on horseback to check in on her son, Jack (who was later killed off-season in season 5). The storyline also marked her first time meeting Elizabeth.

After Jack's death, Elizabeth is now in a relationship with Nathan, and the storyline featuring Thornton will be about how the latter will bond with a new face in the mix. The end of season 12 also revealed that Thornton now lives in Cape Fullerton, and her boarding house is now closer to an insulin lab for Little Jack, who was revealed to have diabetes.

Season 13 will be a 12-episode affair and is currently on the floors in Canada. Earlier this year, Krakow took to Instagram to share an update about the latest season's production underway. “We got homesick," she captioned. "@wcth_tv is back in action filming Season 13!”

Shields' recent work includes 'Jane the Virgin', 'A Castle for Christmas', and 'Mother of the Bride'. She will next be seen on Acorn's mystery thriller, 'You're Killing Me.' The 60-year-old is best known for 'Pretty Baby', 'Suddenly Susan', and 'Endless Love'.