Dolly Parton announced a brand-new holiday special, Magic Mountain Christmas, earlier this year. And now we’ve got even more details to share, including a storyline, release date, trailer, filming locations, and a rundown of the incredible cast & guest lineup.
This is the country music legend’s seventh holiday movie and her third TV movie with NBC following 2015’s Coat of Many Colors and 2016’s Coat of Many Colors: Circle of Love. And considering all the wonderful Christmas material she’s given us for over fifty years, to say we’re excited is a huge understatement.
A Very Meta Christmas
Parton’s latest holiday special is essentially a Christmas movie about the making of a Christmas movie. Think a family friendly Curb Your Enthusiasm but with a far more likeable Larry David. Amidst all the comedy, chaos, and carols, we can expect a heartwarming tale of rediscovering the true magic of the holidays. According to NBC Television, the official summary is as follows:
Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas is the frenetic backstage story and delightful on-camera results of Dolly’s desire to uplift an exhausted world’s spirits by sharing the unique ‘mountain magic’ she has always found in and around Dollywood at Christmas. Throughout the movie’s production numbers and rehearsal chaos, Dolly finds herself taking a private journey into her past, guided by the mysterious appearances of her personal Three Wise Men.
When it’s time for her big special to air live, a renewed and inspired Dolly goes rogue and shows the world that the real magic of Christmas lies in the hearts of the children we all once were, the realization that Christmas is about the people we share it with, and how her faith remains the common thread between Christmases past, present, and future.
Guests and Friends of Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton stars alongside Tom Everett Scott, Ana Gasteyer, and Angel Parker — all in currently undisclosed roles. We can also expect plenty of special guests. This includes Jimmy Fallon, Willie Nelson, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jimmie Allen, Zach Williams, and Parton’s goddaughter Miley Cyrus. David Rambo co-writes this special alongside the singer and co-producer Sam Haskell. Joe Lazarov, who also helmed her 2019 anthology series, Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings, serves as director and executive producer. Filming started in late August at the Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, which consistently outranks Disney World as the number one holiday theme park in the United States,
Tom Everett Scott is best known for his leading roles in That Thing You Do! And An American Werewolf in Paris. This is his fourth holiday-related feature, following up A&E’s Karroll’s Christmas, Disney’s Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups, and the Hallmark Channel’s Christmas Connection. Gasteyer was a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live! From 1996 to 2002, starring in many popular sketches such as The Culps, Delicious Dish, and Gemini’s Twin. She has since made numerous film, TV, and theatrical appearances, including Suburgatory and Mean Girls. As for Parker, she got her big break in the Disney series Lab Rats and had a recurring role on Marvel’s Runaways. This is her first ever TV special and first holiday movie.
A Holly Dolly Christmas: Ultimate Deluxe Edition
In addition to all these cast appearances, we can also expect to hear a few singles off Parton’s latest holiday album, A Holly Dolly Christmas. In fact, four of her special guests — Fallon, Nelson, Billy Ray, and Miley — all make appearances on at least one song. Originally released in October of 2020, the Ultimate Deluxe Edition is now available for purchase. This version features eight more tracks, including five written by the singer-songwriter. One of them is a re-release of her song A Smoky Mountain Christmas, which first appeared in her 1986 special of the same name.
Magic Mountain Christmas will air December 1st, 2022 on NBC and stream free on Peacock. The Elf Squad can't wait to gather around the television to sing along to all of Dolly Parton’s amazing holiday tunes.