With the Hallmark Channel premiere of “Pie To Die For: A Hannah Swensen Mystery” on June 22, 2025, Alison Sweeney marks her 12th film in the popular franchise. The movie premieres at 8 p.m. Eastern time and will be available to stream on Hallmark+ the following day.
Filmed in the fall of 2024, the beloved cast is back for a riveting case, comedic moments (don’t miss Barbara Niven going undercover as a poorly disguised janitor!), and a blossoming romance between Sweeney’s baker-turned-amateur-sleuther Hannah Swensen and Victor Webster’s Detective Chad Norton.
Cast & Crew Share Glimpses of Filming ‘Pie To Die For’ in Vancouver
As with all of the other “Hannah Swensen Mysteries,” filming on “Pie To Die For” took place in Vancouver, British Columbia. According to multiple trades, the primary cast filmed two back-to-back movies in October and November. At the end of filming on November 26, Niven, who has played Hannah’s mom Delores since the franchise began, posted a selfie video on Instagram from her trailer.
In the caption, she wrote, “That’s a wrap! 🎬 After an amazing journey on set, it’s time to head home. Grateful for the incredible cast and crew who made this movie a reality. And I especially want thank YOU guys for your continued support—it truly means the world to me! I’m beyond grateful to have such an amazing community behind me. 🙏 đź’ž”
Noting in her video that she’d just filmed her last scene, she told fans that the cast, who’ve worked together for years, “all said goodbye and hugged and cried a little to leave each other.”
“Pie To Die For” was directed by longtime Hallmark star Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe, who’s been part of Ashley Williams’ Make Her Mark program to elevate female directors at Hallmark. On November 1, she posted a behind-the-scenes video of her crew and wrote, “I can’t believe it’s my last day! I had the best time with my crew!!!”
Cast member Sharon Taylor, who was also in February’s “Reality Bites,” wrote, “You did it! Whoo hoo!! 🙌🏼🔥”
Webster told EntertainmentNow, “She’s so talented, and she came in (with) just a big smile on her face, and she was like a kid in a candy store. She came to work to play. It wasn’t a job, like it was fun for her. She has some great ideas. And she’s so good at talking to actors, because she is a fantastic actor herself. So I really enjoyed working with her.”
On June 21, Taylor posted a pic from the set of “Pie To Die For” and wrote, “Tomorrow/Sunday another Hannah Swensen Mystery movie “A Pie to Die For” airs on the Hallmark channel. Our incredible director @officialcrystallowe stacked the cast with some of my favourite performers that I’ve known from over the years. What a treat for me to be reunited with some of my favourite people and to get to know some fabulous new ones! 🥰”
For those looking for more insights on the making of the movie, Lowe and Sweeney, an executive producer on the film, held an Instagram Live session with fans on June 20. It was the second time Lowe had directed Sweeney, since she also was at the helm of her 2024 Christmas movie, “This Time Each Year.” Niven also hosted a Facebook Live session with Lowe, Sweeney and Webster just before the movie premiere to dish on the movie.
What is ‘Pie To Die For: A Hannah Swensen Mystery’ About?
In “Pie To Die For: A Hannah Swensen Mystery,” Hannah receives a special order of banana cream pies by Victoria (Soltis), the much-beloved star of Delores’ local community theater group. It becomes evident that Victoria’s holding a special event from which Delores was excluded, and that the two are not getting along at all.
When Hannah delivers the pies, she discovers Victoria’s body and becomes part of the crime scene, while her mom becomes a suspect. As Hannah and Chad try to unravel clues to the mystery, their chemistry together is undeniable.
The movie includes returning cast members Lisa Durupt as Hannah’s sister Andrea and Mike Dopud as Sheriff Ealing. “Pie To Die For” also Zak Santiago (who appeared in the last two “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” movies with Lowe) and longtime Hallmark supporting actress Laura Soltis.
From Webster’s first fight scene in a Hallmark movie to his dance scene with Sweeney, the movie is action-packed and even has an unexpected twist of romance to watch for at the end. Enjoy, Hallmarkies!
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‘Pie To Die For: A Hannah Swensen Mystery’ Behind-the Scenes: Cast Photos & Stories