Branching Out

Check out today's newest episode of Girls Gone Hallmark! Megan and Wendy share their thoughts on the latest Hallmark Channel film, "Branching Out." Brace yourself for a story Megan shares about discovering biological relatives through DNA testing. Tune in to hear what they liked and didn't like about this movie.

What did you think about "Branching Out?" Email us your thoughts or review to [email protected].

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News and Notes About "Branching Out"

* With "Branching Out" as his 16th directing endeavor, Maclain Nelson is leaving quite the mark on Hallmark as of recently. Among his notable projects are the beloved "Haul Out the Holly" series, "A Heidelberg Holiday," "Hidden Gems," "Presence of Love," and others. Beyond directing, Maclain Nelson’s creative endeavors extends to writing contributions on "A Heidelberg Holiday," "A Nashville Legacy," and "# Xmas."

* Joie Botkin wrote the screenplay for “Branching Out” based on a story by writer Melissa Bustamante. We’ve said here for a long time that Joie has a great ability to write difficult family stories. Her previous work for Hallmark include “Never Been Chris’d,” “3 Bed, 2 Bath, 1 Ghost,” “Love’s Greek to Me,” “# XMAS” “Our Italian Christmas Memories” and so many more.

* Melissa Bustamante has just three writing credits. “Branching Out” appears to be her first project for Hallmark. 

Related Podcast Episode: Girls Gone Hallmark review "3 Bed, 2 Bath, 1 Ghost"

* Sarah Drew stars as single mom Amelia. Sarah is definitely a favorite of Girls Gone Hallmark. We last saw her in “Guiding Emily” - which we loved. She has 51 acting credits with two very non-Hallmark projects in pre-production. 

* Juan Pablo Di Pace plays donor dad T.J. Juan Pablo is probably best known from his role as Fernando on “Fuller House.” His one other project for Hallmark was “Raise a Glass to Love” in 2021. Juan Pablo is also a recording artist and started releasing music in 2010. He’s got a YouTube channel with nearly 45K subscribers where you can find tons of videos of him singing. Fun fact: Juan Pablo also appeared on season 27 of "Dancing with the Stars."

Related Podcast Episode: What did Girls Gone Hallmark think about Juan Pablo's other Hallmark movie?

* Cora Bella plays daughter Ruby. This is her first big project, only previously starring in a short in 2022.

* Kaley McCormack plays friend and business partner Maura. She has only 7 acting credits and this is her first film for Hallmark.

* Candace Kirkpatrick plays TJ’s mom Sofia. She has 28 previous acting credits with 4 upcoming projects.