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When two longtime Hallmark Channel favorites — and longtime friends — team up, a good time is sure to be had by all.
And that certainly was the case for Ashley Williams and Alison Sweeney, who have come together for a pair of movies set in Spain and debuting this month.
For To Barcelona, With Love and To Barcelona, Forever, Williams, 46, and Sweeney, 48, costar, they both executive produce, and they sent PEOPLE a handful of adorable exclusive behind-the-scenes photos from the making of the films.
Written by Julie Sherman Wolfe (another Hallmark favorite who also wrote 2024’s Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story), To Barcelona, With Love, sees Sweeney as Erica, an American expat living in Barcelona. According to the official synopsis, Erica “translates novels into Spanish, though her dream is to be published herself someday. Anna (Williams) is the American author of the book Barcelona, Mi Amor that became a big hit after Erica’s translation. Due to its local popularity, Anna comes to Barcelona for a book signing event. Her arrival not only catches the attention of local bookstore owner Nico (Alejandro Tous), for whom Erica has long had feelings, Anna’s appearance at the store threatens to bring to light Erica’s secret: She took liberties with her translation to improve the story and infuse it with the local authenticity it was missing. As the two women become friends over the course of Anna’s visit, they ultimately help each other embark on a path to find their true happiness.”
To Barcelona, Forever takes place five months later. Erica and Anna “are happily navigating new chapters in their lives. This time the friends find themselves traveling outside the city of Barcelona to a charming village where a misunderstanding leads to unexpected romance for one of them.”
Double Trouble
Alison Sweeney/Ashley Williams
“Getting to work with my dear friend in such close capacity for these projects in Europe was one of those magical moments in life where the only thing to do is focus on gratitude,” Williams says, describing this photo as “us looking cute.” “We hugged each other. A lot. And oh my word, did we laugh. It was simply the best!
Cómo Se Dice ‘Love Interest’?
Alison Sweeney/Ashley Williams
“Alejandro Tous was so much fun to work with,” Sweeney says. “He took me seriously when I said I wanted to practice my Spanish with him. We spoke in Spanish off camera (almost) all the time!”
Friendship Is Golden
Alison Sweeney/Ashley Williams
“Ali asked for a pic with this magical gold ‘statue,’ and I think everyone (including me?) was surprised when I jumped up on his box to give him a hug,” Williams says.
Adds Sweeney, “I was not expecting Ashley to jump up on his stage with him! He was a good sport doing the scene with us.”
Air Time
Alison Sweeney/Ashley Williams
“I loved filming the scene in the gondola but it was stressful to get the whole scene in one take,” Sweeney shares. “We only had the amount of time it took to get from the launch point to the midway point before the jostling of the machinery would make the take unusable. It was fun to work with such unique conditions.”
According to Williams, the experience was also a little scary: “We did scream every time the gondola shook even a tiny bit in the wind. But somehow even that was thrilling.” Still, she says, “The views were unreal! One of those moments when we had the opportunity to get a real scope of the city of Barcelona. It is massive and absolutely beautiful.”
Familia at Sagrada Família
Alison Sweeney/Ashley Williams
“The first time I saw Sagrada Familia I actually gasped,” Williams says of the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world, designed by architect Antoni Gaudí. It began construction in 1882. “It’s almost impossible to take in Gaudi’s masterful detail. And the fact that it’s been under construction for so many decades was a great metaphor for life. I think I am still, in many ways, definitely under construction!”
Getting Down to Business
Alison Sweeney/Ashley Williams
“Filming in Spain was truly a magical experience,” says Sweeney. “I am so grateful. To have director Ron Oliver lead the charge was a dream come true. He is a fantastic filmmaker. Our 3rd AD, Anice Mateu, is giving a thumbs up in this pic, because for once the wind didn’t turn the umbrellas inside out. She and I were singing Mary Poppins because it kept happening.”
“Ron Oliver is a legend,” adds Ashley. “One time before we were friends I cornered him in a hotel gym—I knew who he was—and asked him if he would mentor a bunch of up-and-coming directors in the future. He said yes! Getting to collaborate with him on these movies was dreamy. He knows how to shoot in Europe, he knows what it takes to make a funny, romantic Hallmark movie with all the feels, and he keeps us laughing the whole time.”
(Oliver also directed 2024’s beloved Groomsmen trilogy for Hallmark+.)
El Gran Cuarteto
Alison Sweeney/Ashley Williams
“It’s the dream team!” Williams says of (from left) Miguel Brocca, Sweeney and Tous. “These boys were the perfect balance for us and our characters in these movies, and they were both incredibly patient with our eccentricities and needs. We couldn’t have asked for two better leading men.”
Adds Sweeney: “Miguel, Alejandro, Ashley and I had so much fun getting to know each other on this project. It was fun every day, and both guys brought so much to the roles and the movie as a whole.”
It Takes an Aldea
Alison Sweeney/Ashley Williams
“On the last day of filming, our Spanish production company surprised us all with these hilarious crew shirts,” Sweeney says of the black t-shirts seen on several people in this group shot. “A few members of the crew were huge fans of an early movie Ron had directed that was a bit more in the horror genre so they made a joke design with the saffron that becomes a story point in the second movie. I love the camaraderie we developed with all the cast and crew after almost two months of working together. There were definitely tears that last day. Goodbyes are always so hard!”
“I didn’t know what to expect with a Spanish crew,” Williams admits. “I was worried about language barriers and different shooting styles. But I have to tell you, I would go anywhere with this crew. They were so hardworking, kind, funny, smart, and professional. I miss each one of them. I want to bring them more movies so we can do it all again!”
To Barcelona, with Love premieres Saturday, June 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Hallmark Channel, and To Barcelona, Forever premieres Saturday, June 14 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, also on Hallmark Channel.
