WHEN CALLS THE HEART Creator Brian Bird Partners with UPtv
By Movieguide® Contributor
WHEN CALLS THE HEART creator Brian Bird and his production company True Brand Entertainment announced a partnership with UPtv.
“True Brand Entertainment, founded by Bird, Brandon Clark, Tai Truesdell and Darin Chavez, and the network have a multi-picture licensing agreement, creating a series of uplifting and values-friendly romantic comedies,” Variety reported.
This partnership began with THE ENGAGEMENT PLOT in 2022 and continued with THE HAPPY CAMPER in February 2023.
Variety added, “The third film in the deal, JUST JAKE starring Brittany Bristow and Rob Mayes, is currently in post-production and is set to debut later this year. All three movies are directed by Clark and produced by Bird, Clark, Truesdell and Chavez. Additional films in the slate are currently in development.”
Bird shared his hope for the partnership.
“In this age of a thousand TV shows all clamoring for attention, it’s impossible to break through the noise without passionate fans to help spread the love,” Bird said.
“When everywhere else on TV there are only zombies and vampires and crystal meth dealers 24-7/365, it leaves a massively undeserved audience starved for uplifting content,” he continued. “And when you bring them what they are hungry for, it’s a very simple exchange: they love you back.”
“The goal for the stories we want to tell can be summed up in an acronym, ‘H.E.R.O.’ We work hard to make films that are filled with Humor, Emotion, Romance and Optimism that the whole family can enjoy,” Clark added.
UPtv recently announced its Christmas lineup and vision for a positive TV environment.
“At UP Entertainment, the curation of an uplifting, diverse and uniquely special holiday offering for our viewers every year is our passion,” Hector Campos, senior vice president of content strategy and acquisition at UP Entertainment, said, according to PEOPLE.
“Celebrating the true meaning of the season is at the forefront of our selection process, and our movies celebrate the magic of the holiday season with stories about family, love, hope and faith,” he concluded.
Movieguide® previously reported on UPtv founder Charles Humbard:
“We were founded with a purpose in mind, our purpose was ‘to inspire hearts to be better,’” says Charles Humbard, founder of inspirational network UPtv. “Everything we do stems from that and that’s not necessarily a religious statement or a Christian statement but [it can] inspire Christian themes around that.”
The purpose-driven network head recently spoke to Movieguide® about his mission-oriented strategy behind UPtv. Although not specifically labeled as Christian, the network takes the charge to honor noteworthy stories that counter the darker options very seriously.
“Everybody in God’s Kingdom has different roles that they play; ours is to tell stories based on Christian and good family values and tell them in a way that’s entertaining, really authentic and compelling,” Humbard says.
“It’s important that we help our audience as a network speak to your heart, not your head. We want to stimulate the heart.”
