The most wonderful time of the year is finally here.
Hallmark Channel's 2021 Countdown to Christmas officially begins on Friday, Oct. 22, which officially gives you permission to skip the Halloween candy and Thanksgiving turkey in favor of peppermint mochas and candy canes.
And what better to way to celebrate the start of the merry annual tradition than by getting some scoop on Hallmark fan-favorite Candace Cameron Bure's upcoming movie, The Christmas Contest?
Set to premiere Nov. 28, the Sunday of Thanksgiving week, a.k.a. CCB's annual timeslot, the film reunites Bure with her Fuller House co-star John Brotherton as exes who find themselves competing in a Christmas contest to win money for the charity of their choosing. You can guess what happens next.
After their Netflix sitcom came to an end last year, it was actually Candace's idea to have John, who played DJ Tanner's love interest Matt, serve as her leading man in her 2021 Christmas movie. In fact, she even told E! News that he was her "dream" co-star when we caught up with the twosome at Hallmark's Holiday Headquarters in Los Angeles for the kickoff event. Hey, that is high praise coming from the queen of Christmas herself.
"It all started with a phone call," John shared. "I was sitting at the beach on the Jersey Shore and Candace calls me and she's like, 'So, I've got an idea.' Long story short, when she sent me the script, it was such a warm, fuzzy feeling and it was like a throwback to the rom-com of when we were kids. It made me smile, it made me laugh and...there is a moment in the end that made me shed a tear."
And it sounds as though Candace is hoping some Fuller House fans will feel vindicated by the casting choice after D.J. ended up with her first love Steve (Scott Weinger). "This is totally for all the fans that wanted Matt and D.J. together," the actress explained. "Absolutely, 100 percent!"
John echoed Candace's sentiment, adding, "I think there's some Fuller House fans out there that will feel satisfied if they weren't the first time around when we used to work together."
Of course, given the name of the movie, Candace said viewers can expect to see the duo get "competitive," but also teased, "There's lots of fun Easter eggs for those Fuller House fans. It's a rom-com. There's a lot of comedy and a lot of heart."
To hear more from Candace and John about their festive reunion, watch our interview with the pair above. And continue reading to get the details on all 30 of Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas movies airing this year.
Hallmark Channel will air new Christmas movies every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night at 8 p.m. through the end of December.