Holland Roden, Matthew Daddario & Dustin Rikert feel the Buffalove

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Production wrapped this week on “Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story,” the Hallmark “Countdown to Christmas” movie shot in and centered on Buffalo. Though the film crew was only in town for about two months – first at the holidays and then again the past few weeks – Western New York left a lasting impression.

And Bills Mafia gained some new members.

“When they asked me to direct the film, the very first required viewing was that ‘30 for 30,’ you know, ‘The Four Falls of Buffalo,’ ” director Dustin Rikert said Tuesday, just before shooting an East Aurora “Carolcade” scene outside of a faux-snow-lined Vidler’s 5 & 10. “I fell in love with that particular documentary and really got to know the culture.

“I'm a huge sports junkie. I grew up in Vermont; and Vermont doesn't have a professional team, so the communities wrap their love around different teams and different places. So, I'd always had a love for the Buffalo Bills. I grew up in the ’90s; when all that happened was in the ’90s, when I was in junior high and high school. I knew that story very well. Loved the story. We made it required viewing for not just the crew that came onto the film, but for the cast that came onto the movie, to really understand not just the culture of the Bills, but the fan culture of the Bills.

“And then we took an even deeper dive, and we started to meet some of the fans. When the deal was inked to do the movie with the Bills, we actually came here in December and we shot some second unit footage of one of the games. And as it so happens, you get the flyover effect with snow – you know, the lake effect. And we got a big snowstorm, so we got to experience Buffalo in a very big way.

“We got to experience tailgating in a very big way. I've been to lots of professional sporting events, but I don't think I've ever quite seen anything like how the Bills fans are on game day. They're considered a small or medium market, but their fan base is like a larger market, and that's what's so amazing about the team.”

Rikert added, “It really is a city of good neighbors. It's really true. It's true with the crews. It's true with the businesses that we deal with, and the people that we deal with. I think it's one of the friendliest communities I've ever come in and helped produce and direct a movie with. That says a lot about how people are raised here, and kind of culture they come from.”

Of “Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story,” Hallmark explained, “The Quinns and DeLucas have lived next door to each other for decades in the shadow of Highmark Stadium – the home of their beloved Buffalo Bills. With their longtime friendship rooted in being proud members of Bills Mafia, the two clans have enjoyed cherished traditions that revolve around cheering for their favorite team – especially at the holidays when they celebrate the last home game before Christmas.

“Pediatric doctor Morgan Quinn (Holland Roden) and the Bills’ VP of Stadium Development Gabe DeLuca (Matthew Daddario) have always been close friends, but Gabe has always held a torch for her – a fact obvious to their families … and everyone else who crosses their path. When Morgan learns from her Uncle Tommy that someone anonymously helped her family get by after he was drafted more than 60 years ago – and that he continues to receive a Christmas gift each year to this day – she decides to find his benefactor and give her uncle a Christmas he’ll always remember.”

Having now seen Bills Mafia up close and personal, “You would think it's almost like an election going on,” Roden said. “That's the presence the Buffalo Bills has draped throughout the city.

“I come from Dallas – the Cowboys already have a big fan base. So, to see that trumped 10 times over was a really unique experience for me.”

“I had an expectation. I knew something about the Bills Mafia. I had some sense of it. But I didn't realize the level to which it would be,” Daddario said. “And I think that we saw it at Highmark, when we had all the volunteers who came in – 8,000 – and they had to cut it off.”

The film crew hard at work on the Hallmark Channel’s “Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story.”

Dozens of extras prepare to film “Carolcade” scenes for “Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story.”

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Of course, rooting is nothing new to Hallmark fans – they cheer for true love – and that’s part of what made this film project a perfect pairing.

“We had done a movie last year with Skydance and the NFL, that Hallmark had come up with, and it was one of their tentpole films. And they had a lot of success with that. And when it came time to do another film, the Bills were just a natural fit,” Rikert said. “This film is a very different film from the first one that we did. It has a very blue-collar feel. It's very much a love letter to the fans, and the Buffalo Bills fans in general. And that's something we work really hard with, with both Hallmark and the organization, to make sure that we sprinkled this with Easter eggs and film-centric things that we know the fans will recognize and love.

“The Bills have been an incredible film partner when it comes to this. They rolled out the red carpet. I don't know if I've ever worked with an organization, in terms of being a film partner where we're filming, where they just open up the doors and roll out the red carpet and say, ‘Whatever you need, we want to supply for you.’ The players came on board in a huge way. The Bills corporate office came on board in a huge way. The city came on board in a huge way. I mean, it's been one of the easiest preps for a film that I think I've ever had, to be honest. There was no red tape. The fans were behind this. Everybody. It's been literally a love story, like the movie is.”

The film’s two leads – veterans of science fiction (Roden starred in TV’s “Teen Wolf,” Daddario in “Shadow Hunters”) – have come to realize Hallmark fans are, indeed, passionate about their pictures.

“The Venn diagram of the very fervent fans from Hallmark and sci-fi (is) quite larger than one would expect,” Roden said. “I was shocked when I found out. We recently went to a convention where they were excited about us coming together for Hallmark, but they were there for our respective former shows.”

Daddario said, “The enthusiasm is there, there's a certain – it's like an interest level. Like, sometimes people can be fans of something, right, and it's just a very sort of perfunctory thing. And in this case, I think Hallmark fans, they like Hallmark; and they like to watch Hallmark; and they know what they want. And I like that. That's great. And we can give you that. …

“And with the sci-fi fans, I mean, the overlap of ‘Teen Wolf’ fans and ‘Shadow Hunters’ fans is also quite large. It's a community. I like that. I want it. The community element of fans is really great, because it means that we know who to interact with. We have something clear to give and provide to that group. And it gives us something to respond to going forward.”

“We’re lucky to be part of both communities,” she said.

“We’ve very, very lucky,” he said.

"Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story" stars Holland Roden and Matthew Daddario shoot a scene outside of Vidler's 5 & 10 in East Aurora.

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Roden and Daddario said they were impressed with the Western New York culinary scene – specifically calling out Bar Bill, Paula's Donuts, Gabriel's Gate, Angeline, Mulberry Italian Ristorante and Pizza Florian, as well as Public Espresso, Gold Lion, Cloud Cover Coffee, Cafe Bewilderment and JAM Parkside Coffee – and also with the Buffalo Bills players who appear in the film.

“They're walkable hugs, first of all, is what I call them,” Roden said. “Dion Dawkins, in particular; but honestly, like Ray Davis – everybody that has come onto our project. I joke that you guys kept the mean Bills players away, but I don't know if there are mean Bills players.”

“They're charismatic; they're enthusiastic, and they came in with full enthusiasm, and they did a really good job,” Daddario said

“Damar Hamlin, when I asked him if he had any acting experience, he goes, ‘Oh, yeah. Fourth grade, “Peter Pan.” ’ With a straight face. I was like, ‘Perfect. This is great, Damar. Thank you.’ He was great,” Roden said.

Rikert teased, “You guys are going to be blown away by how incredible (they did). We call them ‘the legends.’ ‘The alumni.’ You're going to be blown away by how great ‘the legends’ are, and you're going to be blown away by how great the current players are in this film.

“They have a lot of comedic moments, and they came ready to play – and their involvement is something that kicked us into a whole ’nother level.

“We actually, literally, had so much involvement that we were able to craft scenes in the movie specifically for the players and for the fans, whereas it wasn't just a token thing. We didn't just get them and shove them into a scene. Scenes were written for specific people and specific players, and that made it really fun because, with their involvement, it helps drive the story forward.”

“Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story” is expected to debut sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas on the Hallmark Channel and streaming on Hallmark+.

Buffalo Niagara Film Office Director of Operations Rich Wall and Film Commissioner Tim Clark. Director Dustin Rikert said the film office here is, “hands down, the best film commission I’ve ever worked with – and I work with a lot of great film commissions.”

“Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story” stars Holland Roden and Matthew Daddario speak with the local media.

Faux snow.

 

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