As the executive producer, JoAnna Garcia Swisher had a front row seat to the making of Hallmark’s Providence Falls trilogy — and she’s breaking down what’s to come just for Us.
Under Swisher’s guidance, the three Providence Falls movies sidestepped Hallmark Channel’s unwritten PDA rules — where the kiss usually comes at the end of the film and there are rarely more than two make out sessions per movie.
“I have to if give credit to Hallmark [for] saying that they were going to give me the leeway and our directors and writers and also fellow executive producers, the leeway to tell the story in a way that we felt like we really wanted to,” Swisher, 45, exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting the project on Friday, August 1. “In a way that felt different and unique.”
She noted that they weren’t “trying to reinvent the wheel by any stretch of the imagination,” but instead wanted “the space” to tell the romantic story “the way that we wanted.”
Luckily for fans, Hallmark signed off on the PDA-filled trilogy, which follows Irishman Liam O’Conner (Lachlan Quarmby) as he is transported from purgatory to modern-day Oregon to help his former love Cora McLeod (Katie Stevens) achieve her destiny and fall for her alleged soulmate, Finn Walsh (Evan Roderick).
Since Liam and Cora were star-crossed lovers in 1844 Ireland, Hallmark doesn’t wait to show their chemistry on screen. Their steamy romance is on full display in the first film, released on August 2, and the passionate scenes don’t stop there. (The one catch with Liam being tasked to push Cora toward Finn — both of whom don’t recall their time in 1844 Ireland — is that he is still in love with her, and it shows.)
Swisher told Us that their “incredibly talented cast” was “game” to bring the heat to the screen, noting that the heightened romance was “what made them want to do these movies.”
“Everybody came ready to get ready to rock and roll and we definitely pushed the limits,” Swisher teased.
Scroll down for more behind-the-scenes details on the Providence Falls movies — the second of which premieres on Saturday, August 8 — from Swisher herself:
Does the Premise Actually Include a Love Triangle?
Swisher confessed to Us that the story between Cora, Liam and Finn “really wasn’t a triangle,” which will be obvious to fans at the start of the third film. Instead, the focus of the movies was to show Cora “there are options in front of her.”
“It’s really also about Cora’s realization of who she wants to be and what brings her joy and what makes her happy,” the Sweet Magnolias star explained. “Keeping that as our main goal allowed us to kind of strengthen the longevity of their [characters’] trajectory.”
Finding the Perfect Cora and Liam
Since Swisher is an actress herself, some fans wondered whether she wanted to be in front of the camera for this project — but she is happy with the ultimate cast lineup.
“I never really saw myself as Cora. I never saw myself in these books at all,” Swisher said, noting that the movies are based on Jude Deveraux’s beloved series. “When I saw Katie and I sat down with Katie and talked to her about doing the movies, I was like, without a shadow of a doubt, that is our Cora.”
Swisher added with a laugh, “I tell her that all the time. I’m like, ‘You’re my dream Cora.’ She is just so amazing in these movies and we were very lucky to have the cast that we were able to put together.”
The producer noted that the casting was ultimately “very much meant to be,” including the “chemistry” between Stevens and Quarmby’s star-crossed lovers Cora and Liam.
“The friendship that they built, the trust that they built with one another, they really worked lockstep with each other and in creating this incredible journey for their characters to traverse,” Swisher gushed about the films’ leads.
Will Fans Learn More About Suzette?
In addition to Cora, Liam and Finn, who is an ADA in modern times after being betrothed to Cora in 1844 because of his family’s clout, there are a few minor characters who at times steal the show. One of those being Cora’s BFF Suzette Deveraux (Felicia Simone), who owns a coffee shop in Oregon.
Swisher teased that during the second film, Providence Falls: An Impossible Fate, fans will see Suzette have “a real story” and a “real arc for herself” that will continue to unfold.
She explained, “Both Liam and Suzette had a lot in common” because of their pasts, which is part of the reason they are drawn to Cora for support.
Swisher added that she knew from the start that she wanted Suzette “to have her own romance,” teasing her love interest as “unexpected” and a “fun element.”
Teasing Cora and Liam’s Fate in Movie 3
Swisher recalled having “a lot” of conversations with all three of the films’ leads — but especially with Quarmby and Stevens heading into the third movie. She hinted that the final movie will bring the realization that “it wasn’t ever really about saving his soul.” Instead, Liam’s journey is about helping Cora “see what her true destiny was.”
Whether that means a happily ever after for the former soulmates or a relationship between Cora and Finn is for fans to watch and see. Swisher, however, told Us that there is a “huge turning point” during the third movie that will give fans the answers they desire.
Will There Be More Movies?
“We are all bubbling with ways to continue these stories, if not through Cora and Liam’s eyes, perhaps the eyes of maybe Katie and Lachlan finding new shoes to fill,” Swisher shared, telling Us that it would be “very hard” not to see “all three of these beautiful stars of our film together again.”
When asked whether a Christmas rendition could happen for Providence Falls, Swisher was open to the idea. “Christmas is like the creme de la creme of Hallmark. So, I mean, if we could break our way into there, I’m all for it,” she said with a laugh. “Let’s start the campaign now.”
Providence Falls: An Impossible Promise premieres on Hallmark Channel Saturday, August 9, at 8 p.m. ET. Providence Falls: Thief of Fate, premieres on Saturday, August 16, at the same time. (Fans can rewatch the first film, Providence Falls: Chance of a Lifetime, on Hallmark+.)
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