The holiday season is officially underway, and Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas is taking viewers across the Atlantic for a cozy, storybook romance rooted in family, festive mishaps, and plenty of hygge.
In A Danish Christmas, fan-favorites Emilie Ullerup (Chesapeake Shores) and Corey Sevier (The Dog Lover’s Guide to Dating) team up for an authentic holiday romp set in the heart of Copenhagen. The film follows Marie (Ullerup), a Chicago-based hotel tech executive who heads home to Denmark for the holidays, only to learn her mother plans to sell the family’s beloved Andersen Inn after the New Year.
Determined to save the inn, Marie scrambles to revive an old holiday tour for an arriving guest she believes is a high-profile travel writer named Ryan Miller (Sevier). While the real Ryan Miller isn’t who she expects — sparking an avalanche of chaotic Danish holiday traditions and unexpected feelings — the two embark on an unforgettable adventure through Denmark’s cobblestone streets.
While Marie’s frantic attempts to save her mother’s inn lead to plenty of high-stakes comedy, the emotional core of the film shines through when the characters step away from their busy work routines.
“Marie is a bit caught up in this hotel world of keeping up to keep up,” Ullerup explained. “I think what was important was: how do these two people look outside of their own little bubble for long enough to actually take a breath to see each other?”
For Sevier, that turning point came during an intimate candlelit scene tucked away inside the inn’s attic.
“I loved the attic scene when the lights go out,” Sevier revealed. “We have so many scenes where a lot’s coming at you —miscommunication, is he the right guy, all this stuff. But then the lights go out, and we had these wonderful scenes where we’re going through the inn and then up into the attic by candlelight. The world stopped, and these two characters only had each other in that moment.”
“For Ryan’s character, that’s where he opens up and is forced to reflect on his love of Christmas and what it meant to his family. It really helped the characters take that next step in having that trust with each other,” he added.
No Hallmark holiday film is complete without a few well-intentioned blunders, and A Danish Christmas pulls out all the stops when the real travel writer finally arrives. For Ullerup, filming the comedy beats had an extra layer of fun because the other Ryan was played by her real-life husband, Kyle Cassie.
“My favorite thing in movies is always when you’re so well-meaning and really think you’re gonna nail something, and then it falls on its face,” Ullerup shared. “Any time the other Ryan was involved where the stakes were really high… we spilled hot chocolate on his scarf, and then things catch fire, and the fire extinguisher comes out.”
“And what was delightful to me,” Ullerup laughed, “was that that’s my real-life husband! I was like, ‘Cover him! Just get him filthy. More!'”
“He was such a good sport,” he added with a grin. “Emilie was egging him on the whole time. Kyle is so funny, and I had to hold back laughing quite a bit because my character had to keep things together.”
Beyond the gingerbread markets and picturesque canals, both stars hope viewers walk away with a reminder to slow down, unplug, and embrace the magic of human connection.
“My main thing that I hope people take away is that even though we experience so many different things in this movie from what we’re used to in North American Christmas, we really all want to experience the same things: love, connection,and hygge,” Ullerup reflected. “Even though Americans just don’t know it’s called hygge yet, that’s what they want to feel. At the end of the day, we’re all the same.”
“There is such a through line with family, love, and community,” Sevier agreed. “There are some really cool, interesting traditions that hopefully people will watch, look into more, and maybe even replicate to do something different with their own families.”
If you’re looking for the ultimate excuse to finally unplug, pour something warm, and lean into pure seasonal comfort, A Danish Christmas checks every single box. It delivers the postcard-perfect Scandinavian backdrops and swoony, slow-burn banter Hallmark fans crave, but grounds it with a heartfelt, laugh-out-loud authenticity that only someone telling their own hometown story could pull off.
Between the irresistible culture clash, the mouthwatering feast scenes, and the genuine warmth radiating between Emilie and Corey, this is the holiday escape you didn’t know your watchlist was missing. Consider your Sunday night plans officially booked.
For more on A Danish Christmas, make sure to watch our full interview with Emilie and Corey below, and don’t forget to watch the premiere TONIGHT, Sunday, November 1 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on Hallmark Channel, streaming next day on Hallmark+.
Interview quotes have been edited and condensed for clarity. For more coverage from Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas, click here.
