Everywhere else, it may be springtime. But in one quaint Chicago suburb, it’s Christmastime — and a familiar face is in town.
And no, it’s not Santa Claus — It’s Mario Lopez.
Lopez, his wife Courtney and their son Nico have been spending the past few weeks in the historic suburb of Long Grove, Illinois while filming a Christmas movie titled “My Grown Up Christmas Wish.”
In the movie, Lopez plays Brian Ortega, the beloved mayor of “the idyllic community of Long Grove,” an announcement said.
“While decorating for Christmas with the residents, Brian discovers his childhood Christmas wish list which magically begins to come true, reminding Brian about the spirit and joy of the holiday,” the movie’s description said.
Returning to the town for Christmas is the Mayor’s friend, Nina, the description continues, “and soon a connection becomes undeniable.”
“As Brian’s wishes come true, he inspires the town to showcase its warm culture and values in order to stop the modern world from stifling the charm and heart of Long Grove,” the description goes on to say.
It’s the fourth holiday movie to film in the village in the past four years, officials said.
“We absolutely love the town,” Lopez said. “Everyone is awesome here and has really embraced us. It’s the perfect, quaint, charming holiday town.”
Several local business are featured in the film, including Vintage Charm Homestead.
“It’s that small town feel. It’s charming. It has that historic look to it. It feels like community,” said Gina Andaas, who owns Vintage Charm Homestead. “It’s surreal. But it’s also just been a great experience. It’s been bonding for the different merchants around town.”
The town’s iconic Sock Monkey Museum, which was recently awarded a Guinness World Record for the largest collection of the vintage toys, will also be featured.
“Once they walked through that door, they saw the magic of this place, and they said we’re writing this in the script. And they did,” said Michael Okun, co-owner of the museum.
According to the producer, the film plan to not only keep the business names intact, but also the village itself.
“It’s really exciting. The script obviously wasn’t written with ‘Long Grove,'” said Okun. “But once they saw the town, they changed the name.”
According to the village, some of the local merchants, along with residents will be appearing as extras in the film.
Lopez has posted to social media from Chicago and from the set in Long Grove since March. In one video posted to Instagram earlier this month, the weather made for the perfect backdrop for the movie.
“Look at this,” Lopez says. “It’s snowing in April. This is cool actually. Great for a Christmas movie.”
Lopez and his family was also in the area during the total solar eclipse on April 8. While Northern Illinois wasn’t in the path of totality, those in the Chicago area were treated to approximately 94% of the once-in-a-lifetime view.
While in town, the Lopez family dined at local restaurants and spent time with residents. The family also experienced all Chicago has to offer.
“We’ve experienced every season here. Snow, it’s been hot, all in one day. It’s been wild,” said Lopez. “I got to take my son to Wrigley Field, which was really cool.”
“My Grown Up Christmas Wish” will debut in November.
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