Christmas movies dominate thanks to celebration of 'faith, family and country': Hollywood exec
The explosion in popularity of Christmas movies reflects Americans' love for "faith, family and country," according to Hollywood executive Bill Abbott.
Last month, Abbott, who is the president and CEO of the faith and family-based entertainment company Great American Media, unveiled the slate of new films in its fourth annual Great American Christmas franchise.
During an interview with Fox News Digital, Abbott shared his thoughts on how the Christmas movie genre has come to dominate the holiday season and why Yuletide films resonate with millions of viewers.
"People love Christmas," he said. "They love the celebration of the season, the traditions, the music, everything about Christmas — people love."
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He continued, "I think that the genre has gotten a bad name in some parts over the years. You know, the cheesy Christmas movie that's harpooned on ‘Saturday Night Live’ and is really in some circles still produced."
"But that's a thing of the past from our point of view," Abbott added. "We take great pains in the storytelling, in the character development and the locations and the music and the wardrobe and all the things that make it feel like a Christmas experience. And the talent then is just the icing on the cake and certainly is a key driver."
"But that is what really gives the genre life and what we are trying to do with our content — just always be that quality choice that celebrates faith, family and country."
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Great American Christmas 2024, which premiered Oct. 12 on Pure Flix and Oct. 17 on Great American Family and will air until Dec. 22, features 16 new movies. Abbott told Fox News Digital that he is "so excited" for fans to watch this year's roster of holiday films.
"I think in all the time I've been doing this, I've never been more optimistic and felt more positive about a lineup and a schedule that we have," he said. "And this is really the culmination of four years of work."
He continued, "We began this in October of 2021 and went through the Christmas season for three years where we produced a lot of really high quality content with great talent. But this year we've taken it to another level."
Abbott noted that along with the return of established Great American Family stars Candace Cameron Bure and Danica McKellar, the network had also added new talent, including Mario Lopez and his wife Courtney Lopez, as well as Alexa PenaVega and Carlos PenaVaga.
"And the movies turned out really, really well," Abbott said. "And they're high quality. They tell great stories — faith, family, country — all about that focal point. That is what we believe. So positive and uplifting in nature and good for the culture."
While speaking with Fox News Digital, Abbott also reflected on why viewers are drawn to movies that feature fan favorite TV stars from hit '90s sitcoms and how headlining holiday movies can pave the way for acting comebacks.
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"People feel nostalgic around that time of the year, and they think back to when they watched Lori [Loughlin] on ‘Full House’ or they watched Candace on ‘Full House' or they watched Mario Lopez on ’Saved by the Bell,'" he said.
"So there's that feeling of nostalgia, feeling of comfort, feeling of wanting to tell stories that the whole family can enjoy together, which we certainly do, and which those iconic stars are so representative of our brand of faith and family, of all the good things that life has to offer, especially at that time of year."
In July, Great American Media announced that it had partnered with New York's UBS Arena, the NHL's New York Islanders and CandyRock Entertainment to host its first experiential Christmas festival.
Held at UBS Arena's Northwell Park, the "Great American Family Christmas Festival," which runs from Nov. 20 to Jan. 5, offers Great American Family fans the chance to celebrate the holiday season in an immersive event space just outside of New York City.
"From holiday movie premieres and ice skating to TikTok-worthy cups of cocoa, celebrity meet and greets, a Santa’s Crafting Village and live entertainment, the inaugural Great American Christmas Festival is an experience for the entire family," a press release stated.
Abbott told Fox News Digital that he believes the festival is a "great thing for New York and the whole New York area."
"We've always thought that the Christmas experiential space was something that is there for the taking," Abott said.
He pointed to Christmas Con, an annual holiday-themed convention in New Jersey that offers fans meet and greets with the stars of famous Christmas movies.
"And it sells out every year," Abbott said of Christmas Con.
Abbott recalled that the inspiration for the Great American Family Christmas Festival was born out of a conversation that he had with New York Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky. Ledecky told Abbott that he was a big fan of the Great American Family's Christmas movies and the two came up with the idea of holding a festival with talent at the Islanders' home arena.
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"UBS — a world-class arena — they are great partners. CandyRock Entertainment is putting the event on in terms of the execution, and we could not be happier," Abbott said.
While speaking with Fox News Digital, Abbott shared his thoughts on what he hopes fans take away from watching Great American Family's Christmas movies this holiday season.
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"We are creating an experience that is Christmas as it is meant to be, that it is filled with joy and faith and family and hope and uplifting, positive focal points around uplifting faith, uplifting family, uplifting the country, being very supportive and overall trying to break down a lot of the barriers and tensions that exist," Abbott said.
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He continued, "And I think that having faith as a big element within that is critical to the experience for viewers and is something underrepresented in a big way on TV."
"And we are the home of that. And it is up to us to create quality content that will create an enjoyable overall season."