Netflix’s Latest Christmas Movie Is More Than It Seems—And It Stars a ‘Virgin River’ Favorite

Production kicks off on the movie in Canada in February 2025.

Following the cheerful and festive final two Christmas-themed episodes of Virgin River season 5, Alexandra Breckenridge will spread holiday cheer in a new Netflix Christmas film tentatively titled My Secret Santa.

In recent weeks, Breckenridge has been sharing on her Instagram stories that she is preparing to travel to Canada for five months to shoot the movie and, subsequently, the seventh season of Virgin River.

In her January 20, 2025, interview on the podcast Broad Ideas with Rachel Bilson and Olivia Allen, Breckenridge stated:

“I’m actually going out in February to do another movie for Netflix, which I was like, oh, this might be insane. I don’t know what I’m doing to myself, but I’m so grateful to have the work because I know that there’s not a lot of work right now, and so I just, the opportunity came up, and I was like, absolutely, you know, I’m gonna make it work no matter what, because I’m just so grateful to be in the position that I’m in right now.”

On Friday the 25th, she announced during her podcast, I Like You Very Much, that she plans to film her movie in Kamloops, British Columbia. She also mentioned having “a lot of other fun things” she cannot disclose yet because she’s not allowed.

Mike Rohl (The Princess Switch) will direct the filming for My Secret Santa, which is scheduled to take place from February 3rd through to the 27th. Carley Smale and Ron Oliver are the duo behind the script. Smale has written on Snowed-Inn Christmas and The Christmas Parade, while Oliver has written the Lindsay Lohan 2022 movie Falling for Christmas.

The plot of the film follows Taylor, who decides to work as Santa Claus at a resort to afford her daughter’s ski school fees. While mastering the art of holiday cheer in her impressive disguise, she works closely with the establishment’s charming yet notorious new manager, Matthew Layne. It does not take long for sparks to fly between them as their partnership leads them to face unexpected challenges and the possibility of romance.

Howard Braunstein is producing under his banner, Howard Braunstein Films.

No additional information has been provided, so Breckenridge’s role remains unclear. However, she hinted that she would need to “brush up on her guitar skills.”

Breckenridge’s role in My Secret Santa isn’t her first Christmas film; she previously starred in the 2018 Lifetime movie Christmas Around the Corner. The short production period in February also allows Breckenridge to jump over to Virgin River season 7, which starts filming in March and will go through into the summer.  There’s no word whether Virgin River will be back in 2025. However, fans of the show and Breckenridge can look forward to seeing her on the platform this Christmas.

This is one of several movies Netflix is working on for its upcoming 2025 slate of Christmas movies. Other titles in development include In A Holidaze with Tiffany Paulsen writing and A Merry Little Ex-Mas starring Alicia Silverstone, Oliver Hudson, Jameela Jamil, Pierson Fode, and Melissa Joan Hart.

Are you looking forward to watching My Secret Santa on Netflix? Let us know in the comments.