The sun is shining, the A/C is (hopefully) on full blast, and Hallmark is bringing the Christmas spirit back early with “Christmas in July,” a celebration of the network’s best winter holiday movies, as well as unexpected presents in the form of new releases.
Hallmark’s “Countdown to Christmas” premiere of Three Wise Men and a Baby back in 2022 introduced audiences to Luke (Andrew Walker), Stephan (Paul Campbell), and Taylor (Tyler Hynes), three brothers tasked with taking care of a baby during the week leading up to Christmas. Hallmark’s decision to bring three of their fans’ favorite leading men into a comedy was bound to be a success, and ratings and viewership numbers would prove this to be true—the television movie went on to become 2022’s most watched movie on basic cable, with an approximate 3.6 million viewers.
With the recent announcement of a sequel, fans have one more reason to be merry this year. While the sequel, titled Three Wiser Men and a Boy, is set to release later in the year, Hallmark is bringing the brothers and baby back early with the July 6 premiere of Three Wise Men and a Baby: Extended Cut. (It was previously released on the streaming service Hallmark Movies Now.)
Below, we’ve rounded up what was originally left on the cutting room floor. (Unfortunately, nothing was added to the Sugar Plum Fairy dance sequence, but still, the extended edition will help to put viewers into an early holiday spirit.)
1. We see what the brothers are like when they aren’t together…
From more time seeing Luke working as a firefighter to Stephan working as a pet therapist and Taylor gaming in their mom’s basement post-unemployment, these additional scenes give a better sense of each brother as an individual, rather than solely in relation to their family.
Hallmark / Bettina Strauss
2. …and spend more time reminiscing on all they’ve missed
One extended scene with the brothers putting baby Thomas to sleep adds more context to their relationship, as the trio agrees that they should have made a greater effort to stay connected.
3. Extra Stephan and Taylor bonding time
The two younger bros have some time to bond (and stress) over tea as they wait for their brother/baby-whisperer, Luke, to return home with Thomas. Although considered to be the two most immature brothers, this moment shows that the two have grown to fill their position of responsibility when it comes to caring for, and about, Thomas.
4. Baby’s first…
Hallmark / Ricardo Hubbs
Tons of parents have been known to take pictures of their baby’s first… well, everything. The three brothers prove to be no exception when they take little Thomas to the ice rink and push him around on the ice in his stroller. When he begins to giggle for the first time, they stop to photograph the moment on their phones, which they later scroll through the second they get off the ice, making this one of the most wholesome scenes that was originally cut.
5. More time to get to know the love interests
Although Hallmark is known primarily for their holiday romances, this film is primarily a comedy and drama film. However, some romance side plots are sprinkled in and expanded upon, giving fans more insight into Taylor reconnecting with his ex, Fiona (Ali Liebert), and Stephan (the pet therapist) getting to know his patient’s owner, Susie.
Hallmark / Ricardo Hubbs
6. Shopping shenanigans
One of the movie’s iconic scenes is the one in which Stephan and Taylor brave a superstore to buy Thomas diapers. However, the extended edition adds in a completely new scene in which the pair is mistakenly identified as a gay couple by a fellow shopper who Taylor was attempting to hit on.
7. More moments with Mom
While staying with Aunt Louise, their mom Barbara (Margaret Colin) expresses her feeling of failure as a parent. As a single parent, she did her best to keep the family together through various activities and celebrations, but she feels regret that not only was none of it enough to keep the brothers bonded, but also they are all fully grown and still live at home.
Three Wise Men and a Baby: Extended Cut, Television Premiere, Saturday, July 6, 8/7c, Hallmark Channel
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