Actress Rita Moreno is set to star in the Lifetime Christmas movie, Santa Bootcamp. The film also serves as Melissa Joan Hart’s fourth directorial project for the network. Alongside Moreno, other cast members include Tony Award-winner Marissa Jaret Winokur (Hairspray), Emily Kinney (The Walking Dead), Patrick Kassidy, Justin Gaston, Deanne Bray, and Zyra Singleton. Santa Bootcamp serves as a reunion between Hart and Winokur, as they both starred in Lifetime’s A Very Nutty Christmas.
Santa Bootcamp follows the journey of event planner Emily Strauss (Kinney) as she searches for the perfect Christmas Santa and overall festive inspiration for an upcoming Christmas Gala event for a mall magnate’s (Kassidy) investors. During Emily’s time at Santa Bootcamp, she encounters Belle (Moreno), a kind drill sergeant who helps her find the Christmas spirit and the romanticism of the holiday season.
Moreno is a Golden Age Hollywood actress, singer, and dancer. She has appeared in a wide variety of creative projects over the years, including film, television, and media. Moreno has starred in supporting roles of classics such as Singin’ in the Rain, The King and I, and in both adaptations of West Side Story. Her other acting credits include Popi, Carnal Knowledge, the cult flick Slums of Beverly Hills, and Netflix's gone-too-soon One Day at a Time. Moreno has received numerous accolades for her work in the entertainment industry, including the rare accomplishment of becoming an EGOT with two Emmys, one Grammy, one Oscar, and one Tony.
Moreno released a statement about joining Santa Bootcamp and her love of Christmas overall, saying:
"I have always been a holiday person…particularly Christmas. The idea that I’m actually going to participate in this wonderful Lifetime Christmas movie, Santa Bootcamp, just tickles me to no end. I have been known, at Christmas time, to decorate anyone in my house who happens to stand still for more than a minute. I will decorate anyone and anything because I turn into a child. Therefore, what a treat for me! Thank you Lifetime. My grandchildren are already celebrating!"
Santa Bootcamp is one of two films announced so far for the network’s “It’s a Wonderful Lifetime” holiday slate. The other includes Sarah Drew’s Reindeer Games Homecoming, which reunites her with fellow Grey’s Anatomy star Justin Bruening. The full Lifetime holiday slate is expected to be announced this fall.
Hart's film is giving Miracle on 34th Street vibes based on the synopsis, and with such a talented actress as Moreno, hopefully, this Lifetime Christmas movie will stick out to audiences this year. With three films already under her belt at the network as a director, this is hardly the first time Hart has visited the Lifetime Channel for Christmas. See the video below for Hart's hosting of a previous "It's a Wonderful Lifetime" network event: