Hallmark’s ‘Aurora Teagarden’ Is Back! What We Know About Prequel Movie
Hallmark Movies & Mysteries is bringing Aurora Teagarden back! In addition, they have announced a prequel movie that includes a new cast, as well as a familiar face. This is particularly a shocker as Candace Cameron Bure hinted that she would bring the franchise to her new network. What could possibly have happened?
Sleuthers, we have all the latest news on the beloved movie franchise.
Aurora Teagarden Is Back With Prequel Movie
On Thursday, Hallmark Media shocked Sleuthers with the announcement that Aurora Teagarden is back. According to Deadline, the series is back, with a twist. This is a prequel series from Aurora’s earlier days.
Playing the red-headed sleuth is Skyler Samuels (The Gifted, The Gabby Petito Story). In addition, young Arthur is portrayed by Evan Roderick (Autumn In The City, A Tale Of Two Christmases).
Returning to reprise her role as Aida Teagarden is Marilu Henner (A Kismet Christmas, Taxi).
That means neither Candace Cameron Bure nor her daughter, Natasha Bure, who portrayed a younger Aurora in the final CCB franchise appearance, will be in this new movie.
However, they have yet to reveal whether Lexa Doig, the OG Sally, or her daughter Mia Shanks, who previously portrayed Sally, will be back. Will anyone else from the former cast return? This news, including the director, is forthcoming.
What Is Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Something New About?
Firstly, there is the setup. This new Aurora Teagarden Mystery takes place after Roe finishes college and moves back home to Lawrenceton. She takes on two jobs. First, as a waitress in a local diner. Second, as a teacher’s assistant. This is in a fiction writing class whose topic is crime, and Aurora is obsessed with researching true crime stories.
At the diner, she and Sally talk about true crime, along with Arthur, a newly appointed police officer. Meanwhile, her mom Aida is trying to make her new real estate business work. But, she is suffering some of the pitfalls of running a new business.
In this mystery, Something New, Sally is getting married and it is time for the rehearsal dinner. However, her fiancé is a no-show. Naturally, Roe is the Maid of Honor, and she starts to look for the tardy groom. She doesn’t want Sally to get stressed right before the big day. Arthur joins Aurora and the two go out searching.
They do come across a dead body. However, it is not the groom. Now, they are searching for the groom as he is the number one suspect!
Hallmark Is Excited To Bring New Aurora Teagarden Adventures
Emily Merlin, Hallmark Media’s Development Manager of Programming revealed that this new movie is for Sleuthers. “The Aurora Teagarden franchise is a fan favorite and we’re excited to share this new chapter with viewers.”
In addition, Merlin revealed why they pivoted a bit to tell an earlier part of Aurora’s story.
Our viewers have been waiting for more adventures with Aurora and her friends – what better way to do that than to take them back to when the young, amateur sleuth was just coming into her own?
The prequel angle—stories in different life stage rather than straight recasting—is good way to go if they're going to do this, but suspect Candace Cameron Bure still getting paid for this continuation, given she's long been an exec producer of franchise.https://t.co/SNrJHcFclL
— Ho! Ho! Holiday Viewing! (@SleepyKittyPaw) March 9, 2023
Candace Cameron Bure Said She Would Bring Mystery Series To GAF
When Candace Cameron Bure shockingly left Hallmark for Great American Family, Aurora Teagarden fans thought the series was canceled. Back in April 2022, just a couple of weeks after the shock announcement, US Magazine asked Hallmark Media about the future of the series.
The response indicated that that series was now axed. The official response was that the network “will air existing [Aurora Teagarden] movies [but have] no plans for new ones.”
Not long afterward, CCB shared in an interview with Variety that she planned to bring the successful mystery franchise to Great American Family. “It’s definitely something we would like to revisit for Great American Family. It’s about putting puzzle pieces together, but it’s very possible.”
What happened? Sleepy Kitty Paw shared on Twitter her theory on what happened. “Also of note, Cameron Bure publicly expressed interest in taking AURORA TEAGARDEN to Great American Family. While I’m obviously not privy to contract details, it’s often case if rights-holder stops making content featuring character they can lose those rights, which this prevents.”
It sounds like Hallmark Media was biding their time and hoping for franchise inactivity. This is just over a year since the CCB’s final Aurora Teagarden movie, Haunted By Murder.
However, in a separate tweet, Sleepy Kitty Paw also surmised that since CCB has been a long-time executive producer of the franchise, she will be collecting some money from this new prequel movie.
