The Christmas Cup and the When Calls the Heart Cast

Hearties Family Reunion 2025 wraps today, and When Calls the Heart fans are buzzing about Ben Rosenbaum’s big announcement: he’s starring in a new Hallmark Christmas movie—not with one or two Hearties, but with FIVE of his fellow castmates.

Hallmark Channel confirmed the news on Sunday by sharing Ben’s announcement on their Instagram account. Naturally, fans are now in full-on detective mode: What’s the movie? Where was it filmed? Who else is in the cast?

I’ve been doing some sleuthing of my own, and here’s what I’ve uncovered so far.

The project appears to be The Christmas Cup. Ben shared photos around the time the film wrapped and just before he returned to shoot When Calls the Heart Season 13. He was in Kelowna in June—the same time the BC Production List notes that The Christmas Cup filmed (June 14–29). The movie was directed by Robin Dunne, who posted a behind-the-scenes photo on June 24. That post was liked by—wait for it—Ben Rosenbaum, Pascale Hutton, and Natasha Burnett.

There are more clues. In my recent interview with her on the Heart in Motion Podcast, Jaeda Lily Miller teased that she had an upcoming project she couldn’t yet name but hinted we’d see it this year—likely a Christmas film. At the reunion, Ben also mentioned that someone from the teen panel would appear in the movie. That lines up neatly with Jaeda’s comments.

Here’s how the cast math might break down:

• Ben confirmed five When Calls the Heart castmates are in the film.
• Three from the main panel: Pascale Hutton is a strong candidate. She wrapped her Season 13 wardrobe fitting in late May, leaving her time to film in Kelowna.
• One from the second panel: Natasha Burnett not only liked Dunne’s post but was on the same reunion panel when Ben teased the mystery costar from the second panel.
• One from the teen panel: Jaeda is the likely teen addition given she is the only teen that has done previous Hallmark Christmas movies.

So who rounds out the group? If Erin Krakow is out (she was busy filming her own project), the strongest contenders are Kavan Smith, Chris McNally, and Andrea Brooks. Andrea’s fitting wrapped before The Christmas Cup began, keeping her in the mix, and Kavan posted early enough to fit the timeline. Chris, meanwhile, had no fitting photos at all—making him a wildcard contender. Kevin McGarry is also a possibility, though his fitting photos surfaced toward the tail end of the movie’s production window.

From the second panel, Loretta Walsh could also be in play since her fitting wrapped before filming, though she was tied up with her acting studio through June 19. On the other hand, Viv Leacock, Hrothgar Mathews, and Johannah Newmarch can probably be ruled out, as their fittings overlapped with the movie’s production dates. That also leaves Amanda Wong and Miranda MacDougall as outside possibilities, especially if Natasha Burnett isn’t part of the lineup.

What seems most certain is this: The Christmas Cup stars Ben Rosenbaum alongside Jaeda Lily Miller, with Pascale Hutton and Natasha Burnett looking like strong possibilities. The rest of the cast remains a mystery—one that Hearties are already having fun trying to solve.

What’s your best guess? Leave a comment with your predictions below!