Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ newest film, “Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Something New,” premieres on Friday, June 9, at 9 p.m. Eastern/8 p.m. Central. The movie stars Skyler Samuels, Evan Roderick, Marilu Henner, and Kayla Heller. Read on to learn all about the film and see behind-the-scenes cast stories.
‘Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Something New’ Was Filmed in Vancouver, Canada
Hallmark’s newest “Aurora” movie may be a prequel with a mostly new cast, but just like previous “Aurora” films, this prequel was filmed in and around Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. FTIA reports that the movie began shooting on April 10 in Vancouver.
After Candace Cameron Bure left Hallmark for Great American Family, the future of the “Aurora Teagarden” franchise was up in the air. This new movie features an entirely new cast (with Marilu Henner still portraying Aurora’s mom), and it takes place when Aurora was much younger.
Parade reported that Emily Merlin, Development Manager, Programming, Hallmark Media noted about the new film: “Our viewers have been waiting for more adventures with Aurora and her friends – what better way to do that than to take them back to when the young, amateur sleuth was just coming into her own? The Aurora Teagarden franchise is a fan favorite and we’re excited to share this new chapter with viewers.”
Marilu Henner starred in all 18 of the original movies and also appeared in the prequel series, making her the sole cast member to play the same character in both series.
On March 9, Skyler Samuels — the new Aurora — posted about the film on Instagram.
“Surprise…I’m the new Aurora 💁♀️🔎📝 So excited to be joining the mysterious and fun world of Aurora Teagarden,” she wrote.
View this post on Instagram
Evan Roderick also posted an announcement regarding his role on Instagram too.
View this post on Instagram
Samuels spoke with Digital Journal about her new role.
“It has been so much fun getting to be Aurora, we have had such a great time filming,” she said. “It was such a great group of people, from our crew to our cast. It was just so much fun. I think it was a fun challenge to get to play a character that already exists but reimagine them in a completely different way. I was able to bring to life elements of a character that people already know but infusing new elements to that character. I think the new Aurora will feel new to the audience.”
Skyler Samuels Said She Didn’t Consult Candace Cameron Bure for Advice
In an interview with People, Samuels revealed that she didn’t ask Candace Cameron Bure for advice when preparing for the role. She chatted with Henner, who is also starring in the movie, instead.
“When it comes to the new Aurora, though Candace played her originally, for us it was really important that the new Aurora was a reimagining of that character so that she was still very much her own,” she told People.
“[Henner] was kind of our encyclopedia for a lack of a better word [for] the world of Aurora and tidbits with that crazy memory of hers,” she said. “She really was able to fill us in on anything we didn’t know.”
Meet the Cast
Hallmark’s synopsis reads:
Post-college, Young Aurora Teagarden (Samuels) finds herself back home near her mother, Aida (Henner) in Lawrenceton to pursue her grad degree. Working as a teacher’s assistant in a crime fiction class, Aurora is struggling to settle on a thesis. To support her schooling and life, Aurora also waitresses at the local diner at night, where she shares her love of researching true crime with her friend Sally, who is set to be married, and police officer Arthur (Roderick). When Sally’s fiancé doesn’t show up at the wedding rehearsal, Maid of Honor Aurora gets Arthur to help her search for him. When they discover a body, everyone assumes it is Sally’s tardy groom, but when it turns out to be someone else, Sally’s fiancé becomes the main suspect.
Skyler Samuels is the new Aurora. Last year, Samuels appeared in Lifetime’s “The Gabby Petito Story” and recently wrapped up a starring role in Warner Bros’ film, “The Meg 2: The Trench,” where she acts alongside Jason Statham, according to her bio. She rose to fame by portraying the main character, Chloe King, in ABC Family’s “Nine Lives of Chloe King.”
View this post on Instagram
Arthur is played by Evan Roderick. According to his bio, Roderick can be seen in Lifetime’s “Secrets of a Marine’s Wife” and “V.C. Andrews’ Landry Family.” Prior to that, he landed a lead role in Netflix’s “Spinning Out,” where he starred alongside Kaya Scodelario and January Jones.
View this post on Instagram
Marilu Henner returns in her role as Aida, Aurora’s mother. According to her bio, Henner’s recent acting accomplishments include starring in a variety of feature films that have garnered acclaim. Among these are “Life with Dog,” “In-Lawfully Yours,” “Vamps,” and the indie “Imperfections.”
Henner’s collaboration with Bure in the previous “Aurora” movies has been a notable highlight, and fans are excited to see her in the prequel series.
View this post on Instagram
Sally is played by Kayla Heller. According to her bio, Heller has already made a splash with her performances in popular series such as “The Order” on Netflix, “There’s Someone Inside Your House,” and “My Life with the Walter Boys,” which is set to premiere this summer. She’s also regular cast member in The CW’s hit series “Superman & Lois.”
View this post on Instagram
Also starring in the movie are:
- Madison Smith
- Hayley Sales
READ NEXT: Hallmark’s June 2023 Lineup of New Movies
Terrible casting, except for Marilu Henner, awful makeup, again except for Marilu Henner, Aurora looks like death warmed over and Sally’s cheeks were red/ orange. Most of the people were not very good at acting.