Days of Our Lives newcomer is returning to the Hallmark Channel for the 2026 Countdown to Christmas event. He scored his third holiday role in the upcoming film, Winter Wonderlanes. In the same year, the busy actor welcomed a bundle of joy and starred on the Netflix hit series, Heated Rivalry.
Key Takeaways
- Franco Lo Presti plays a local reporter named Jason Miller, who falls in love with his high school sweetheart, Audrey Bell, played by Ashley Newbrough.
- Hallmark unveiled the sneak peek for Winter Wonderlanes a few days early.
- Lo Presti has plenty to celebrate with a new baby and an acting career on the rise.
Check Out Franco Lo Presti’s New Role on Winter Wonderlanes
The official Hallmark website shared a preview for the new Christmas film, Winter Wonderlanes. Hallmark just kicked off its annual Countdown to Christmas event on Friday, October 16. This year’s lineup is packed with your favorite soap stars.
Winter Wonderlanes premieres on Friday, October 23, at 8 p.m. ET. It’s also available for streaming the following day on Hallmark+. The movie is about Audrey Bell (Ashley Newbrough), who’s known for globetrotting and hob-knobbing with high society.
The famous restaurateur returns to her hometown for Thanksgiving and meets up with her high school sweetheart, Jason Miller (Franco Lo Presti). They reconnect at Audrey’s bowling alley, called Wonderlanes.
Audrey feels the need to save this nostalgic venue. She brings it back by hosting a youth tournament. She ends up working with Miller, who was her ex-boyfriend from years ago.
Hallmark has already rolled out the promo for Winter Wonderlanes on Instagram and other social media platforms.
DAYS Newcomer is on Cloud Nine
Lo Presti has a lot to celebrate at this moment. He’s had a busy year, starring in his sixth holiday movie for Hallmark. The Canadian actor also made his debut on Days of our Lives.
In September, he took on the role of Dante Vitali, who is Ava Vitali’s (Tamara Braun) cousin. Dante distanced himself from the family’s mafia. He attended boarding school and built a successful financial empire on his own.
Most notably, Lo Presti starred on the Netflix hit Heated Rivalry. On the steamy viral sensation, he plays Cliff Marleau. In a recent interview, Lo Presti shared that he and his wife, Emily Alatalo, welcomed a little girl.
The two met on the holiday TV film Christmas Catch and starred in the series, Crossroad Springs. Lo Presti confirmed that he’s now a father and revealed their daughter’s name.
“My wife gave birth to our daughter, Stella, on August 23. I’m a few weeks fresh as a dad, and it’s been an absolute euphoric experience. My wife and I are just so in love with our little girl,” Lo Presti told Swooon.
