'The Christmas setup': Release date, plot, cast and all you need to know about Lifetime’s gushing gay rom-com
Festivals are little occasions in life that bring us closer. And this desire to be with loved one’s emanates a certain kind of inclusivity that knows no barriers. Well, Lifetime is wonderfully tapping on the idea of gender diversity with ‘The Christmas Setup’.
The movie is part of the network's annual programming event called ‘It’s a Wonderful Lifetime’. The run-up of festive movies will feature 30 new movies. With ‘The Christmas Setup, the network “dives deeper into their commitment for diverse storytelling and inclusivity”. This film is the network's first-holiday movie with an LGBTQ romance as the lead story that makes it all the more interesting to watch. Before we catch a glimpse of it, here’s what we need to know about the fun, quirky romantic comedy.
Release Date
'The Christmas Setup' premieres on Saturday, December 12 at 8 pm ET/PT on Lifetime.
Plot
The official synopsis of the movie reads, “Hugo, a New York corporate lawyer and his best friend Madelyn head to Milwaukee to spend the holidays with his mom Kate, who is also in charge of the local Christmas celebrations. Ever the matchmaker, Kate arranges for Hugo to run into Patrick, Hugo’s high school friend, and secret crush, who has recently returned after a successful stint in Silicon Valley. As they enjoy the local holiday festivities together, Hugo and Patrick’s attraction to each other is undeniable and it looks as though Kate’s well-intentioned Santa-style matchmaking is a success. But as Hugo receives word of a big promotion requiring a move to London, he must decide what is most important to him.”
Cast
Ben Lewis
Ben Lewis is an actor and writer prominently known in the world of entertainment for ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’ (2010), ‘Zero Recognition’ (2014), and ‘Arrow’ (2012). In the euphoric LGBTQ holiday romance, ‘The Christmas Setup’, Ben will play the lead role of New York lawyer Hugo who heads to Milwaukee with his best friend Madelyn to spend the holidays with his mom Kate.The star is married to Blake Lee since January 2016, who will play his love interest in the movie, making it all the more enthralling for us to see their on-screen chemistry.
Blake Lee
Blake is an actor widely known for his works like ‘Parks and Recreation’ (2009), ‘Mixology’ (2013), and ‘Wisdom of the Crowd’ (2017). He has been married to Ben Lewis and will play his beau in the upcoming holiday movie.
Fran Drescher
Born in 1957 in Queens, New York, Dran met the love of her life at the age of 15 when she met Peter Marc Jacobson. She debuted in the arena of glamour with the memorable film ‘Saturday Night Fever’ (1977) with John Travolta.
Her breakthrough success came with ‘The Nanny’ (1993). She conceived the plot line for the movie while she was visiting a friend in England. The star tasted success with other films too like ‘The Beautician and the Beast’ (1997) and ‘Picking Up the Pieces’. Fran is a cancer survivor. That, combined with her wonderfully spirited zeal in the cinema makes her an inspiration to women around the world.
Creator
The Christmas Setup is produced by Neshama Entertainment in association with MarVista Entertainment. It has Danielle von Zerneck, Larry Grimaldi, Hannah Pillemer, Fernando Szew, Suzanne Berger, and Arnie Zipursky as executive producers. The movie has Michael J. Murray with scripting credits and Pat Mills on the director’s chair.
Trailer
If You Like This, You’ll Love These
‘The Christmas House’
‘A Bright and Merry Christmas’
‘Christmas On Wheels’
‘A Timeless Christmas’
‘If I Only Had Christmas’
