The Christian actress will star in the first new flick of the channel's annual Yuletide marathon this fall.
Perhaps better known as a singer and winner of the sixth season of American Idol in 2007 as a 17-year-old, Jordin Sparks has done lots of acting since then. Her film credits include some faith-based fare, too, including the 2014 remake of Left Behind, which starred Nicolas Cage, and God Bless the Broken Road in 2018.
Now comes word that she will play the lead role in the TV movie that will launch the Hallmark Channel's annual Countdown to Christmas this year...and sing several songs as well! It's called A Christmas Treasure and Sparks is to portray a writer weighing whether to keep running her family's small-town newspaper or instead move to New York City to further her career goals.
The 31-year-old Phoenix native will star opposite Canadian actor Michael Xavier, a veteran of the Yuletide movie genre, and she will also serve as executive producer. Sparks tells Deadline she feels that "Christmas is so special" and she's "thrilled" about this project.
"I loved being able to perform some of my favorite Christmas melodies, one for the first time, as part of the movie. Joining the Hallmark family is a dream come true!"
According to the Deadline article, Sparks will sing Oh, It's Christmas, an original song of hers, plus This Christmas and the classic carol Oh Holy Night. Hallmark has not yet released specifics on when A Christmas Treasure will air, but the channel's Countdown to Christmas event usually starts in late October.