If your dream vacation includes Italian coastlines, chaotic travel mishaps, and accidentally falling in love with a stranger, Hallmark’s newest romance is about to become your entire personality.
Starring Emilie Ullerup and Kristoffer Polaha, Missing the Boat follows two strangers who miss their cruise during a stop in Italy and are forced to team up on a mad dash across the country to catch up with it — only to discover that every wrong turn brings them closer together. The film is part of the network’s Winter Escape programming, which they say “offers viewers a transportive trio of romances about discovery, of the world, of purpose, and of the person you never expected to meet.”
When Celeb Secrets caught up with Ullerup ahead of the premiere, we mentioned that the film is pretty much a rom-com fever dream set in Italy.
“This should be the poster… why didn’t we think of this?” she laughed.
Ullerup says the project came together in whirlwind fashion — which, fittingly, mirrors the movie’s chaotic, high-stakes energy.
“My agent called and said, ‘I have a great opportunity for you with Hallmark… but in a week and a half they’d love for you to be in Bulgaria,’” she laughed. “I had two kids — five and two at the time — so that doesn’t just come together.”
Still, between the international locations and the Hallmark stamp of approval, it was an instant yes.
“The pitch alone — Bulgaria, Greece, Italy — was kind of a no-brainer,” she told us. “And knowing it was Hallmark, I was like, there’s no way I’m not gonna want to do this.”
Then came the cherry on top: reuniting with Polaha nearly ten years after their first Hallmark movie together, Hearts of Christmas.
“I was excited but also nervous… like, ten years, who knows?” she admitted. “But honestly, within two seconds of seeing each other again, it was just so easy. He feels like family, but we still have chemistry.”
While fans know Ullerup for playing warm, grounded characters, she teased that Missing the Boat flips the script in the most delightful way.
“Not grounded,” she said immediately when asked to describe her character in three words. “Pretty hectic. Pretty desperate to get back to the boat.”
After missing their cruise, her character and Polaha’s are constantly racing the clock — only to miss the ship again and again.
“It’s high-energy stakes throughout the movie, which is what makes it so fun,” she explained. “Very Lucille Ball, Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Almost caper-y.”
And that chaos? That’s where the romance really lives.
“I would love to step into all romances built on chaos at all times,” she joked. “There’s just so much more to chew on. You’re up against time, the environment, communication errors, and this other human you’ve never met… and maybe you fall in love too.”
While Hallmark fans know the network delivers heart, Ullerup says Missing the Boat stands out for leaning fully into big comedy and throwback rom-com vibes.
“I read it and called my agent and said, ‘This feels like a Sandra Bullock movie or ’90s Meg Ryan,’” she shared. “We’re just out there having a lot of fun — bigger characters, bigger stakes.”
She added, “It felt like a really nice throwback to movies I grew up on.”
With chaos baked into the premise, Ullerup says the film is “chock-full of fun scenes,” but one moment stands out.
“We’re trying to rent a car after riding a donkey — Chris’s back is out, he can barely walk — and we meet this Italian man who has a twin brother… played by the same guy,” she explained, laughing. “They’re not helping us at all, we’re up against time… it’s my favorite.”
Behind the scenes, the vibe was just as joyful as what viewers will see onscreen.
“Every night we’d go out for dinner — our co-stars Amy Pemberton and Trey Warner, our producers, our director — all of us just hit it off,” Ullerup said. “It felt like family.”
Her real family even made cameos, and one night in Bulgaria turned legendary. “My parents came to visit — they’re in the movie. My sister too,” she shared.
“McLean [Nelson] had this game called Emperor and we played for hours and almost got kicked out of the restaurant because we were so loud,” she continued. “That was just the vibe on set all the time.”
For longtime Hallmark viewers, Ullerup has become a familiar and beloved face, and its something she says still feels surreal.
“I didn’t grow up with Hallmark — I’m from Denmark — so I didn’t know about this magical little corner of the world full of good heart and good cheer,” she said. “But it just kind of fit and kept going.”
After starring on Chesapeake Shores for six seasons and welcoming both of her children while working on Hallmark projects, the network now feels deeply personal.
“They’re milestones,” she shared. “And I will forever hopefully keep working for this network.”
And if you’re wondering whether to tune in this weekend, Ullerup has a very simple pitch: “The scenery alone is like a meal in itself — the most delicious meal,” she said. “And I think you’re gonna laugh. I hope you’re gonna laugh. Otherwise we’ve done something really wrong.”
She added, “It’s a funny movie… and I think we all need to laugh more.”
For more on Missing the Boat, make sure to watch our full interview with Emilie below… and don’t forget to tune in to its world premiere tomorrow, January 31st @ 8/7c on Hallmark Channel, streaming next day on Hallmark+.
