WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WV (LOOTPRESS) – The festivities of the holiday season are a beloved tradition throughout the Mountain State, with the display of Christmas trees in the earliest days of November being acknowledged as no uncommon occurrence.
But to say that The Greenbrier Resort has been ahead of the game – as it were – in this respect, might be an understatement.
“Feels to me like we’ve had our Christmas decorations up for the entire year here at the Greenbrier,” said Elmer Coppoolse, Chief Operating Officer for The Greenbrier, of the sprawling, extravagant array of holiday decor which has lined the halls of the lavish resort since July.
But while the Justice family and Greenbrier staff may very well have been feeling particularly festive this year, that wasn’t the only reasoning behind the trees coming out early in 2022.
A key contributing factor to the additional outpouring of holiday cheer has been the execution and conclusion of a project which has been years in the works: the first feature film to be shot and based at America’s Resort, The Greenbrier.
“This has been a long awaited moment,” says Coppoolse. “The realization of this movie is really thanks to the wonderful cooperation between FOX Nation and The Greenbrier.”
Christmas at the Greenbrier, the product of an extensive collaborative effort between FOX Nation and The Greenbrier itself, stars two-time Emmy nominee Alicia Leigh Willis – known for roles in CSI: Miami, General Hospital, and 7th Heaven among others – alongside Josh Murray – known for films such as Killing Lincoln and Wish You Well – as former love interests who find themselves reunited at the beautiful Greenbrier Resort during the holidays.
The film itself was filmed on location, and features many of the sights and sounds associated with The Greenbrier which people have come to know and love, along with an extravagant Grand Christmas Eve in the Cameo Ballroom, and perhaps most exciting of all, the feature film debut of the one and only Babydog!
The Greenbrier played host to an assortment of guests who made their way out to Greenbrier County for the exclusive red carpet premiere film event.
Such names included West Virginia Secretary of Tourism Chelsea Ruby and her husband Steve, Secretary of State Mac Warner, Governor Jim Justice himself and of course, the one and only Babydog, the latter of whom made a special appearance on the red carpet.
Greenbrier Director of Special Events Stacey Miller was also in attendance and, according to COO Coppoolse, was “with [the production team] day and night.”
“She received a crash course in movie production,” says Coppoolse of the events director. “We’re glad that she stayed with us and did not leave us for Hollywood, I’m told that she had plenty of opportunities.”
Also on hand was Jennifer Phillips of FOX Nation, who Coppoolse says “is the one who envisioned this wonderful story to take place here at The Greenbrier. She and our dedicated people in our marketing department patiently nursed this project to completion literally for years, and we cannot thank [her] enough.”
The Justice family were acknowledged for allowing Fox Nation full use of The Greenbrier property to be showcased throughout the film. “You’ve all seen the Governor of the great State of West Virginia, Jim Justice,” “He is here to accompany the real star of the movie, Babydog!,” said Coppoolse. But a special acknowledgment was given to the dedicated men and women who keep things running at The Greenbrier.
“I would be remiss if I did not thank all of our Greenbrier staff for all they do – first of all, every day – but in particular, in working throughout the arduous [process] of the shooting. It’s not an easy thing to have a movie shot in your place of work,” he said.
VIP guests – including former Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer, who makes a special cameo appearance in the film – took to the red carpet dressed to the nines prior to the screening itself.
Leading man Josh Murray, who stars in the film as former professional football player Ben, spoke with LOOTPRESS about the potential difficulties of channeling the Christmas spirit for shooting during what was effectively one of the hottest summers in recent memory for the area.
“A little bit, I had to dig deep into memories of the cold weather,” said the actor and fitness educator, who cut a striking figure in a traditional tuxedo ensemble for the black-tie event. “I took some cold showers for sure,” he quipped at the prospect of utilizing method acting techniques to manifest the spirit of winter on a humid July workday.
Leading lady Alicia Leigh Willis also stopped along the red carpet to chat with LOOTPRESS about her experience shooting the film.
On the shared experience with Murray of having previously worked on General Hospital – albeit at separate points during the hit show’s run – “It was two different experiences but we worked with the same people, a lot of them [had] stayed on there,” explained the Saved by the Bell actress, looking radiant in an elegant, emerald green dress.
“It was cool when we got to know each other because we were here days early before we got started filming. So we got to kind of bond on that and talk about it and share stories. That’s always nice before you have to go on set and pretend you’re in love.”
Willis revealed that she did get the chance to explore the Mountain State during her time in Greenbrier County, professing the natural beauty of the area which has continued to make it a substantial draw throughout the years.
“It’s just so beautiful, everywhere you look is just green and lush,” she exclaimed. “ It really was relaxing being here to go outside and just feel like you’re out in nature. It’s pretty great.”
Finally, Willis revealed whether she had actually stayed at The Greenbrier during the filming process. “We did, it was amazing!,” exclaimed the two-time Emmy nominee. “My daughter basically ran the place by the time we left, she’d been here so long. We enjoyed all of it, it was incredible!”
Christmas at The Greenbrier follows the “complicated” story of Abby and Ben, who meet up at The Greenbrier during the holidays after having not seen each other in years.
From November 4 through November 23, The Greenbrier will be offering special pre-release viewings of the future holiday favorite for those who book a stay at America’s Resort. More information on this offer and on the film itself can be found here.
Christmas at The Greenbrier will make its debut on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 24, 2022 when it airs on FOX News Media’s streaming service.