Celebrity chef and author Giada De Laurentiis will be the executive producer of a new film for Hallmark Movies and Mysteries. Always Amore will star Autumn Reeser, Tyler Hynes, and Patty McCormack. It will premiere in the spring of 2022, according to Crown Media Family Networks.
“My family has a deep history in cinema and Italian culture,” De Laurentiis said in a statement through the network. “It has been a dream of mine to take my love of film and food to executive produce a Hallmark movie that authentically honors my amazing Italian heritage.”
In the movie, Reeser plays Elizabeth, a widow who is trying to keep her late husband’s Italian restaurant in business. She hires consultant Ben (played by Hynes) to help. At first, they butt heads, but she slowly comes around to his point of view.
“She rediscovers her passion for baking and might even open her heart to new love,” reads a synopsis from the network.
“Partnering with someone of Giada De Laurentiis’ caliber, with her extensive and authentic knowledge of film and food, makes for the perfect union,” said Lisa Hamilton Daly, executive vice president of programming for Crown Media.
Everyday Italian
Emmy Award winner and restauranteur De Laurentiis was born in Rome and spent time in her family’s restaurant while she was growing up. She trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris before taking a job at Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant Spago in California.
In 2003, the Food Network featured her in a new program called “Everyday Italian.” Initially, the network received complaints from viewers who assumed De Laurentiis was a model instead of a chef.
She went on to host Behind the Bash, Giana’s Weekend Getaways, and Giada in Paradise. Her first book, Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes, was published in 2005. She has published eight titles in total, two of which made it to the top spot on the New York Times Best Sellers List.
Cinema in the family
Laurentiis comes from a long line of entertainers. Her mother is actress Veronica De Laurentiis, and her father is actor-producer Alex De Benedetti.
Her maternal grandfather was Dino De Laurentiis, who produced more than 500 movies, of which 38 were nominated for Academy Awards.
Hallmark has not yet set a premiere date for Always Amore.