Hallmark's Three Wise Men and a Baby, a brisk, razor-sharp comedy that topped the list of 2022's most-watched TV movies, is high up on our Sequel Watch list. But the movie's star and co-writer Paul Campbell says the future of the beloved Yuletide take on 1987's Three Men and a Baby is... complicated.
In a June 17 interview, Campbell, who plays socially-anxious pet therapist Stephan in the film, revealed that Three Wise Men and a Baby would most likely not be getting the sequel treatment. But in a December 2022 interview with Wide Open Country, the multihyphenate indicated that spinoff movies featuring all three Brenner brothers (Campbell, Tyler Hynes and Andrew Walker) weren't out of the question. Let's break it down.
Hallmark
When asked about the chances of a Three Wise Men and a Baby sequel getting the green light from Hallmark, Campbell was not optimistic:
"I'm not going to lie to you, not great," Campbell told TV Line. "Hallmark has said many, many times over the years, they don't do sequels. The problem is it's really hard to tell a love story twice. And that movie is still a love story. It's a story about brothers rediscovering their love for each other."
"We talked with the network early on about a potential sequel and they just said, 'We love the movie. We'd love to sort of work with you guys again in another capacity, but it's just not going to be in powers on this one.' So unfortunately, unless we get a miracle, I would say the chances are zero," he concluded.
Last December, Campbell had similar misgivings about re-treading hallowed ground with a Three Wise Men 2. He told Wide Open Country that he and his co-stars Tyler Hynes and Andrew Walker instead planned to pitch spinoff ideas to Hallmark, hoping they'd be able to revisit their undeniable chemistry together.
"The consensus was that a sequel would probably be a mistake only because it's so difficult to rekindle that magic and tell a different story, but the same," Campbell revealed. "We want to take the three of us, the three boys, and keep making different movies with the three boys. Reinvent ourselves every time. And so I think we can have a lot of fun. We have one idea that's already percolating, and we're going to have to float that by Hallmark Channel and see what they think."
Campbell described Three Wise Men, which he co-wrote with fellow Hallmark star Kimberly Sustad, as "one of the best filming experiences in my life."
And while a Three Wise Men and a Baby sequel (Three Wise Men and Two Babies? Four Wise Men and a Toddler?) isn't in the cards, it sounds like a Campbell-Hynes-Walker cinematic universe could be in play.
Those three, getting together for a wacky Christmas comedy every cozy season? There's a worthwhile holiday tradition.
READ MORE: Hallmark Stars Andrew Walker and Tyler Hynes Are Real-Life Best Friends
