Katie Lee Biegel's novel 'Groundswell' is coming to life on Hallmark. HL spoke EXCLUSIVELY with the creator about how the film is 'fairly completely different' from the guide, casting Lacey Chabert, and extra.
Katie Lee Biegel will admit that her novel Groundwell getting the Hallmark film remedy is a “welcome shock” since she revealed the guide all the best way again in 2011. The film, premiering August 21 at 9 p.m. on Hallmark Motion pictures & Mysteries, stars Lacey Chabert and Ektor Rivera.
“After I first heard that Hallmark wished to begin manufacturing on the film, Lacey was the primary person who I considered,” Katie informed HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY. “I actually wished her for the half as a result of I’m such a fan of hers. I believe she’s so unbelievable in Hallmark motion pictures. I believe that is like her thirty second Hallmark film. She’s simply so good and so plausible, and I believe she’s an amazing actress. Ektor actually embodies Ben, and the 2 of them whenever you see them on display screen collectively they've nice chemistry.”
The movie follows a chef named Emma who travels to Hawaii after a private and professional setback. Throughout her keep, she meets Ben, a good-looking, reclusive surf teacher whose classes assist her to regain her footing.
The cooking present host serves as an government producer and in addition makes a cameo within the movie. “It was an sudden shock,” Katie admitted. “I used to be so excited after they requested me to do a cameo. I play myself so it wasn’t an actual performing stretch. I used to be a bit nervous that I couldn’t keep in mind my traces, however our director was nice. She made me really feel comfy. I used to be most likely my most nervous once I needed to movie a scene with Lacey and simply discuss to her one-on-one as a result of most of it was me judging a culinary competitors so I felt like, hey, I can do that. However once I needed to give a bit bit that wasn’t simply criticizing meals I acquired a bit nervous.”
Within the journey of taking Groundswell to the TV display screen, adjustments have been made. “It's fairly completely different within the film model than the guide model, however I sort of favored that,” Katie famous. “I felt like my characters have taken on a brand new mild and a brand new dimension. It’s enjoyable seeing how the screenwriter shapes my authentic story to make it applicable for a TV film. I simply adore it. After I went to Hawaii, it was all pinch-me moments all day lengthy of feeling like I can’t consider that is taking place and watching it in any respect.”
When The Kitchen co-host watched the film for the primary time, it introduced her to tears in one of the best ways. “I cried. I used to be sobbing. I simply felt like I couldn’t consider it actually occurred,” Katie informed HollywoodLife. “It was truthfully a dream come true, and after they do the final line of the film — I received’t say what it's to break it for anyone — however it simply made me burst into tears. I’m simply blown away by the entire thing.”
The movie options quite a lot of beautiful meals dishes. Katie acquired the prospect to reunite with a High Chef alum in Groundwell. “I talked with the writers about completely different dishes to characteristic after which my co-judge within the scenes of the culinary competitors Lee Anne Wong from High Chef,” Katie revealed. “I do know Lee Anne from years in the past after we have been on the primary season of High Chef collectively. So when it was time to forged my decide, I instantly considered Lee Anne since she lives in Hawaii. So we put her in that function and Lee Anne really stepped in and did plenty of the meals styling for the film. She’s such a gifted stylist, so she stepped in and styled the dishes that have been Lacey’s and made them look phenomenal.”
When watching her guide come to life on TV, Katie hopes that viewers take away that “you all the time have the facility inside you. You simply have to search out it. It’s all the time there. Browsing is known as a metaphor for that and studying to stand up by yourself to see you’ve acquired that leash that attaches your ankles to the board, so if you happen to fall off, you possibly can pull your self again up. I believe it’s actually about how generally dropping all the pieces that you just thought you wished is how you discover precisely what you want.”
Katie has revealed a number of cookbooks through the years, however Groundswell stays her solely fiction novel. She informed HollywoodLife that she “would love to write down one other novel or a screenplay. That’s one thing that I actually hope that I do down the road. I really feel like my mind cells aren’t fairly all there after having the toddler operating round. I haven’t been in a position to provide you with one other story however possibly as soon as she begins faculty, I can write a novel once more.”