Hallmark’s Alison Sweeney On How She Ended Up Writing New Hannah Swensen Movie

Hallmark actress Alison Sweeney is truly going places as she picks up her first writing credit for the new Hannah Swensen movie.

Moreover, she is also starring in and executive producing One Bad Apple: A Hannah Swensen Mystery. How did the popular actress grow into a screenwriter? She opened up about it in a recent interview.

Alison Sweeney scriptwriter for One Bad Apple: A Hannah Swensen Mystery

Hallmark fans are excited about the return of Alison Sweeney as Hannah Swensen in her latest mystery movie on Hallmark Mystery. However, she isn’t just starring in the movie but is also the screenwriter. How did that come about?

When Cinemablend recently interviewed Sweeney, she explained that it was an “organic” process. As an executive producer for the movies, she is reportedly the one who reads through author Joanne Fluke’s novels to find a new, good mystery, along with some plot development.

With One Bad Apple: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, Alison created a detailed outline for the script of the movie and her producing partner, Craig Baumgarten, suggested she write the script herself. Initially, Sweeney was apprehensive about the task, but after receiving Hallmark’s support, she decided to write the script. Explaining how the story unfolded, the Wedding Veil star said:

It felt very organic, the way it all sort of unfolded. Last year, we were developing ideas for what we’d shoot this year. I’m the one who reads the novels. As a producer, I pour through Joanne Fluke’s great books and try to figure out what the highlights are that we want to feature in the next movie.

Then my producing partner Craig Baumgarten and I pitch it to the network, and as it was unfolding with this one, I had really taken ownership of the outline and what the pitch was going to be. Craig asked, ‘Would you ever consider writing one? You really have a handle on what you’re doing and how you want to tell the story.’

I felt a little overwhelmed when we first started talking about it, and then then, the more we discussed it, the more excited I got at the opportunity to write it. Hallmark seemed very enthusiastic about it. That’s the amazing thing about working with Hallmark, how positive and supportive they are. They really gave me a chance to do it, and it all kind of went, knock on wood, pretty smoothly.

Alison Sweeney on writing credits

In the previous Hannah Swensen mystery movies, writing credits were shared between Fluke and a rotating group of writers who have adapted her source material. Reportedly, adaptations are trickier than fans would think because the movie doesn’t adapt everything from one single book.

Moreover, the franchise has historically done a good job of telling the story as a standalone mystery. According to Alison, there’s something she picked up from Agatha Christie (she is a huge fan) that she was able to incorporate into the new movie, One Bad Apple.

While she was committed to writing the script, she did realize she had to send it to others to read, which was stressful. Alison explained:

The most nerve-wracking part was when I finally finished it and had to send it out to other people to read it. That was the part where I was like, ‘Oh God. No. Now what? Other people are going to read this?’ I hadn’t prepared myself for that.

About One Bad Apple: A Hannah Swensen Mystery

Sweeney may have been nervous about the feedback on her script writing, but the new movie has all the elements fans expect from the franchise. It features a solid mystery with several baking tie-ins and a side plot involving Hannah’s mother, Delores, as well as a brand new leading man.

One Bad Apple: A Hannah Swensen Mystery premieres on Hallmark Mystery on Friday, April 5, 2024, at 9 pm ET/PT.