Nearly a decade after starring together on Pretty Little Liars, Lucy Hale and Ian Harding are teaming up again for The Twelve Dates of Christmas, a new holiday romantic comedy. The film follows Hale's character on a quest for love through 12 dates leading up to Christmas. Directed by David Lipper, the project involves multiple production companies.
Lucy Hale and Ian Harding, known for their roles in the Freeform series Pretty Little Liars, are reuniting on screen after almost ten years. The pair, who portrayed Aria Montgomery and Ezra Fitz—a student and her teacher turned love interest—appeared in all seven seasons of the teen mystery-drama, which aired from 2010 to 2017 and centered on four girls haunted by an anonymous figure called “A” following their friend Alison's disappearance.
Their new collaboration is The Twelve Dates of Christmas, a holiday rom-com produced by Latigo Films, BuzzFeed Studios, Applewood Studios, CaliWood Pictures, and Fortitude International. David Lipper directs and co-writes the script with Seth Howard. The story tracks Christina Walker, played by Hale, a successful shop owner who has prioritized her career over romance. Single as her younger siblings marry, she vows to go on 12 dates over the 12 weeks before Christmas to find “Mr. Right.” The narrative explores online dating's challenges, leading to unexpected connections, personal growth, and seasonal insights.
Producers include Lipper and Robert A. Daly Jr. from Latigo Films, Ryan Winterstern from Applewood Studios, and leaders from BuzzFeed Studios like Richard Alan Reid and Michael Philip. Executive producers are Jared Einsohn, Carter Jenkins, R. Wesley Sierk III, Audra Gricius, Jina Panebianco, John D. Straley from CaliWood Pictures, and Nadine De Barros from Fortitude International, which manages international sales.
Hale's recent films include F*** Marry Kill, Running on Empty, and Which Brings Me to You; she is represented by Reel Talent Management and CAA. Harding has appeared in Long Slow Exhale and Holidazed, with representation from Gersh, Authentic Talent and Literary Management, and Yorn, Levine, Barnes. Lipper, an actor-turned-filmmaker, previously directed The Neglected, Murder at Hollow Creek, Wolf Mountain, and Death Link; he is repped by CAA and others.
