Quick Facts
| Title | Christmas Island |
| Genre | Holiday, Drama, Romance |
| Director | David Weaver |
| Writer | Samantha Herman |
| Composer | Christopher Guglick |
| Starring | Rachel Skarsten, Andrew W. Walker |
| Premiere | Saturday, November 11, 2023, 8pm ET/PT (Hallmark Channel) |
| Runtime | 1h 24m |
| Where to Watch | Hallmark Channel, Philo, Sling TV, Frndly TV, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, Fubo (Prime Video add-on in the UK) |
Christmas Island is a 2023 Hallmark Channel movie directed by David Weaver and written by Samantha Herman, produced by Christopher Giroux, Terry Greenlaw, and Jesse D. Ikeman. It premiered as part of Hallmark’s “Countdown to Christmas” lineup on Saturday, November 11, at 8pm ET/PT.
About Christmas Island
Movie Info: Commercial pilot Kate Gabriel (Rachel Skarsten) is flying the wealthy Sharpe family to Switzerland for the holidays when a snowstorm forces her to make an emergency landing at a small airport in the Maritimes. Kate and the family are taken in by the welcoming community of Christmas Island, a real place in Nova Scotia, Canada, where she must work with pragmatic air traffic controller Oliver MacLeod (Andrew W. Walker) — and finds an unexpected holiday romance along the way.
Who Composed the Christmas Island Score?
Christopher Guglick, a Toronto-based composer with more than 20 years of experience scoring film and television for networks including CBC, Lifetime, and Hallmark Channel, composed the original music for Christmas Island. His other Hallmark credits include Christmas Charade, The Royal Nanny, and Ice Road Killer.
Christmas Island Soundtrack: Featured Song
Country singer and American Idol runner-up HunterGirl wrote and recorded the original holiday single “Hurry Up Christmas” specifically for Christmas Island — her first-ever holiday track, released through 19 Recordings/Wheelhouse Records/Broken Bow Records to coincide with the film’s premiere. “When I found out that two songs I wrote were going to be featured in the Hallmark Channel’s Christmas movies, I was so excited for my whole family,” HunterGirl said of hearing “Hurry Up Christmas” air in the movie.
Beyond “Hurry Up Christmas,” Hallmark has not released a public tracklist or full soundtrack album for Christmas Island. Like most Hallmark Channel movies, the bulk of its background music is licensed stock and production-library cues that aren’t individually credited. A previous version of this page listed a tracklist of songs that turned out to belong to an unrelated indie rock band that also happens to be named Christmas Island — that tracklist has been removed, since those songs are not part of this film.
Where to Watch Christmas Island
Christmas Island is a Hallmark Channel original movie, included with many cable TV packages. You can also access Hallmark Channel via Philo, Sling TV, Frndly TV, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, and Fubo. Audiences in the UK can access Hallmark Channel as an add-on subscription channel on Prime Video.
“Hurry Up Christmas” by HunterGirl is available on Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Spotify.
Reception
Christmas Island holds a 61% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes. Decider’s Maddy Casale wrote that the movie “has enough charm and original touches to make for an entertaining viewing experience,” while Lady Geeks Media called it a “steady dose of adorableness.” Audience reviews are mixed to positive, with many viewers praising the small-town setting and cast chemistry.
Related reading: Streaming Guide | Movie Soundtracks
Frequently Asked Questions
Who composed the music for Christmas Island?
Christopher Guglick, a Toronto-based film and TV composer with a long history of Hallmark Channel scores, composed the original music for Christmas Island.
Is there an official Christmas Island soundtrack album?
Hallmark has not released a full soundtrack album. The one confirmed original song is HunterGirl’s “Hurry Up Christmas,” written for the film. The rest of the score is unreleased, uncredited production music typical of Hallmark Channel movies.
Is the “Christmas Island” band’s music actually in this movie?
No. Christmas Island is also the name of an unrelated San Diego indie rock band with albums like Blackout Summer and Poisoner. Their songs are not featured in this Hallmark film — the two are simply a same-name coincidence.
Who stars in Christmas Island, and when did it premiere?
Christmas Island stars Rachel Skarsten and Andrew W. Walker. It premiered on Hallmark Channel on Saturday, November 11, 2023.
Where can I watch Christmas Island?
Christmas Island airs on Hallmark Channel and is available through Philo, Sling TV, Frndly TV, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, and Fubo. UK viewers can access Hallmark Channel as an add-on subscription through Prime Video.