Food Network star Ree Drummond will make her acting debut in Candy Coated Christmas

After a decade of starring in her hit Food Network series The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond is ready for her close-up, making her acting debut.

The Discovery Plus streaming service announced on Wednesday that Drummond, 52, will make her acting debut in the Food Network and Discovery Plus’ first original movie, Candy Coated Christmas.

The film recently wrapped production, and it’s slated to debut over the holiday season on the Discovery Plus streaming service. 

Actress Ree: After a decade of starring in her hit Food Network series The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond is ready for her close-up, making her acting debut

The story is set in the picturesque town of Peppermint Hollow, described as, ‘the Peppermint Capitol of the world.’

The movie will, ‘deliver on the food-centric content that Food Network fans love and it will bring in audiences that enjoy the feel-good stories associated with the holiday season,’ according to the official description. 

Drummond joins a cast that also includes Molly McCook (Last Man Standing), Aaron O’Connell (The Haves and The Have Nots), Jae Suh Park (The Big Short) and John McCook (The Bold and the Beautiful).

Co-stars: Drummond joins a cast that also includes Molly McCook (Last Man Standing), Aaron O’Connell (The Haves and The Have Nots), Jae Suh Park (The Big Short) and John McCook (The Bold and the Beautiful)

Drummond will be, ‘bringing her down-to-earth appeal and real-life experiences as a proprietor to her role as the owner of a bakery who warmly befriends a newcomer to town.’

‘Candy Coated Christmas was so much fun to be part of; it had all the magical elements that make holiday movies so special,’ Drummond said in a statement. 

‘Any initial nerves I felt about joining this project completely melted away when I stepped into the sweet, charming world of Peppermint Hollow!’ she added

Down-to-earth: Drummond will be, ‘bringing her down-to-earth appeal and real-life experiences as a proprietor to her role as the owner of a bakery who warmly befriends a newcomer to town’

The story centers on Molly Gallant (Molly McCook), a Los Angeles-based marketing executive who is, ‘on top of the world’ while heading for her annual father-daughter trip to Hawaii.

Her plans are upended when she learns the seed money for her business has disappeared, while her father (John McCook) suggests she visit the small town where her late mother grew up, Peppermint Hollow, since an old family home may be the key to the start-up money she needs. 

Molly meets Bee (Drummond), the owner of Bee’s Bakery, who introduces her to the family renting the house her mother grew up in, The Winters family, Noah (Aaron O’Connell), Kim (Lee Garlington) and Dakota (Landry Townsend).

Bee: Molly meets Bee (Drummond), the owner of Bee’s Bakery, who introduces her to the family renting the house her mother grew up in, The Winters family, Noah (Aaron O’Connell), Kim (Lee Garlington) and Dakota (Landry Townsend)

They invite her to stay with them and offer her a lost connection to her own childhood memories and the possibility for a newly ‘minted’ business begins to take shape.

Ellie Kanner (Love and Sunshine) directs Candy Coated Christmas from a script written by Alex Yonks, Kanner and Joey Plager.

Executive producers are Ellie Kanner, Joey Plager and Larry Grimaldi, Hannah Pillemer and Fernando Szew for MarVista Entertainment. 

Business: They invite her to stay with them and offer her a lost connection to her own childhood memories and the possibility for a newly ‘minted’ business begins to take shape