The new Lifetime Christmas movie Reindeer Games Homecoming was written by Sarah Drew, who will likewise star and executive produce the movie. Justin Bruening will play the leading man in the film. Previously, the two actors have played lovers in Grey’s Anatomy and Indivisible. Bruening was tapped for the role by Drew herself, who explained her reasoning in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.
In Reindeer Games Homecoming, Drew will play MacKenzie, a bright high school biology teacher who loves solving crossword puzzles. Since her father’s death, Mac’s been competing in a holiday fundraiser with his retired colleagues to honor his memory. The Reindeer Games. This year, however, there’s a wrinkle as Chase (Bruening), her high school crush turned action movie star, returns to town and starts competing against her.
“Not only is he just a great actor, he’s perfect for this role in every way. We have great chemistry together. And on top of all that, he’s such an incredible team player. And I knew that I was going to need someone that was just on my team and ready to dive in and be a total team player. And he was. We had such a blast together. We have a very similar way that we navigate through character journey stuff,” said Drew.
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“Mac and Chase are super different from April and Matthew [on Grey’s], and are super different from the Turners [in Indivisible]. A lot of times people don’t give Justin the opportunity to be funny, but he really is very funny. I wanted to allow him to spread his wings in that way and tap into that side in this rom-com, a movie that isn’t heavy laden with drama, which is what both of our previous projects were. Matthew was an interesting character, but I think Chase has a lot more grit and more layers to him. And we wanted to tap into that as well. So, it’s a very fun, different relationship that I think will be a pleasant surprise for the audience.”
Joining in the Reindeer Games
Lifetime
While the film’s backdrop might be Christmas time, Drew didn’t set out to write a holiday film for her writing debut. Instead, she was trying to conjure up this retro romantic comedy that would harken back to her favorite rom-coms of the ’90s and early 2000s. Drew also explained that Reindeer Games is nostalgic because they’re taking these characters down memory lane to their high school days.
This isn’t Drew’s first Yuletide outing. Her previous Xmas film credits include 2018’s Christmas Pen Pals, 2019’s Twinkle All the Way, and 2020’s Christmas in Vienna. So, with some authority on the subject, she was able to say that there are some really fun set pieces to Reindeer Games that you won’t get in other Christmas movies. Big events that are super fun and joyous. Like when Mac has to practically drag Chase to do the polar plunge.
“What’s really lovely about Reindeer Games and these two characters is that they know each other very, very well. They have history and a deep friendship that you immediately lock into as soon as you see them on screen together. So you’re rooting for them from the beginning. You don’t have the stolen looks, the ‘Will they or won’t they?’ It’s really just like: These people are meant to be together. How’s it all gonna play out?”
The Reindeer Games will begin on Nov. 12 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Lifetime. It also won’t likely be the last time you see Drew and Bruening working together because, according to the screenwriter star, they’re already brainstorming ideas for what to do next.
“The water was so cold. The day itself that we shot that scene, the sun had come out and it was a really warm day, but by the time we had to run into the water, the sun had gone down. So I was ready to dive in when it was really warm and the sun was blazing, but I was not as excited to go in after the sun went down. So we had a role reversal. He was trying to psych me up to get in the water and I was freaking out. It was very cold. Once you get in, it’s really a mind-over-matter thing.”
