Netflix is determined to compete with the Hallmark Channel every Christmas from here on out, and its magnum opus this year is Hot Frosty. Starring Hallmark regular Lacey Chabert as Kathy, Hot Frosty is about a widow who magically brings a snowman (played by Schitt’s Creek’s Dustin Milligan) to life and quickly falls in love with him.
After premiering on Netflix this Wednesday, the Christmas rom-com has already reached the #1 spot on Netflix’s top 10 movies. In fact, it’s just a few spots ahead of Meet Me Next Christmas, a slightly more grounded Netflix original that debuted this holiday season.
Whether or not you’re a fan of these schmaltzy holiday movies, the cast might still draw you in. In addition to Chabert and Milligan, Hot Frosty also stars Craig Robinson (The Office) as Sheriff Nate Hunter and Joe Lo Truglio (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) as Deputy Sheriff Schatz, as well as Katy Mixon (Eastbound & Down) and Lauren Holly (NCIS).
“It’s really funny and light and lovely,” Chabert told Tudum. “But there is also a through line of a lot of heart, and all of these characters are kind of going through something — whether it’s something more comedic or something more deeply emotionally rooted. I think this movie has a very special tone to it. There’s something almost nostalgic about it.”
In an interview with Decider, Dustin Milligan revealed that he signed on to be in the film just two weeks before it started shooting. He wasn’t sold when he saw its title, but once he had a chance to read the script, he swiftly opted into the leading man role:
When I saw that it was called Hot Frosty… needless to say, I had some reservations. But as soon as I started reading, I was struck by how much more it was than what that title makes you think it’s going to be. And I was immediately excited for the prospect of physical comedy—to embody, physically, this guy who is so literally brand new to the world and experiencing everything for the very first time. The sense of wonder, excitement, and earnestness that he has. I was so on board right away, because it had everything that I didn’t even know I was looking for.
Hot Frosty is out now. Up next on the streamer’s holiday schedule are The Merry Gentleman on Nov. 20 and Our Little Secret, starring Lindsay Lohan, on Nov. 27.
