One of Hallmark‘s newest crime-solving duos has been exceptionally busy during the first half of 2024, secretly turning their first movie together into a full-fledged Hallmark Mystery franchise.
Stephen Huszar, who co-starred with Jodie Sweetin in 2023’s “The Jane Mysteries: Inheritance Lost,” told Heavy on May 17, 2024, that they’ve reunited with their cast and crew to film new mysteries to begin airing later this year.
“I’m really excited,” Huszar told Heavy. “We released one already last year, and we have
three more coming.”
Stephen Huszar Says He Loves Working With Jodie Sweetin, Calling Her ‘Phenomenal’
Sweetin’s character in “The Jane Mysteries,” Jane De Silva, is based on the protagonist in four mystery novels written by K.K. Beck in the early 90s, according to Publishers Weekly. Huszar plays Detective John Cameron.
According to IMDb, one of the already-filmed movies in the franchise is called “The Jane Mysteries: A Deadly Prescription,” in which “Jane Da Silva and Detective John fight for justice as they race against time to prove the innocence of a wrongly imprisoned teenager.”
To get to continue working with Sweetin, who’s been acting since she was a kid on “Full House,” is a thrill for Huszar, who told Heavy he’s learned a great deal from the “icon.”
“She’s such an incredible human being and (she’s) taught me a lot,” he said. “We’ve shared a lot together and, I mean, what an icon, right? She’s phenomenal. So professional and so talented and really great. And such a leader on set. Like everyone looks up to her so much and she’s done a great job.”
Given that most Hallmark movies are shot in just three weeks, that kind of leadership and camaraderie is important among the cast and crew, Huszar told Heavy, adding that the movies are produced by Canadian-based Brain Power Studio.
“These (movies) are pedal to the metal,” Huszar said. “We’re pretty much on set every
day and, you know, getting up really early and finishing quite late. But the crew and the
production company we work with — I’ve done quite a few productions with them even before
‘The Jane Mysteries’ — they’re incredible.”
Huszar said he loves filming the franchise because he gets to work with the same people, and it’s begun to feel like “a little family.”
“There’s so much familiarity now with everybody, it’s a pleasure,” he told Heavy, adding that he hopes they’ll get to shoot even more movies in the franchise.
“This story just keep getting better,” he said, “and I think people will just connect more with our characters as we as we continue to shoot.”
Stephen Huszar Says He’d Love to Revive His ‘Ruby Herring’ Mystery Franchise, Too
With Hallmark devoting much more time and resources to its mystery franchises in 2024, including its first-ever holiday-themed mystery series, Huszar told Us Weekly that he’d also be open to reviving the “Ruby Herring Mysteries” he co-starred in with Taylor Cole. The pair shot three movies between 2019 and 2020, written by NBC “Dateline” reporter Andrea Canning.
“Taylor’s such a good friend of mine,” Huszar told Us Weekly. “So, I would love to work with friends like that again. It is always a treat. Absolutely. So, fingers crossed. I’m all about reviving that.”
In June 2023, Cole told Just Jared she’d also be up for reviving the “Ruby Herring” franchise.
“When I go to these Comic cons and Christmas cons and all the things, one of the biggest requests is ‘Ruby Herring,’” she told the outlet. “I don’t know what to tell you, but I’m not losing hope. There’s still a chance, there’s always a chance.”
“They revive these things all the time and if we get enough people together, we can make this happen,” she continued. “I feel like after years and years of different series that they’ve all come back. So, there’s still hope for me. Love that character.”
Huszar, whose latest Hallmark rom-com, “Everything Puppies,” premiered on May 18, told Heavy he loves being able to play a wide variety of roles, and just filmed a still-unnamed psychological thriller in Mexico City.
He told Heavy, “I love my romantic comedies. I love drama. I just (want to) keep going and work with work with great people and great projects, you know, and see where that takes me. I’m just everyday I’m grateful to be doing what I’m doing. I have the best job in the world.”