‘Groundhog Day’ inn gets another role, this time in upcoming Christmas movie shot in Woodstock

Although the Easter Bunny just paid McHenry County a visit, the Cherry Tree Inn in Woodstock recently was recently decorated for Christmas.

It’s not part of Christmas in April celebrations. Rather, the Cherry Tree Inn played host to filming for another holiday movie the week of April 21.

[ Photos: Christmas movie scenes shot at Woodstock's Cherry Tree Inn ]

Titled “Exes of Christmas Past,” it’s the second holiday-themed movie that’s been filmed at the bed-and-breakfast in recent years. The film is “about an ambitious hotel manager who returns to her family’s B&B for Christmas to find all three of her high school exes staying there,” producer Chris Charles said.

The movie has parallels with the three ghosts of Christmas past, present and future, Eliza Toser, who co-wrote the film with her husband Jake Jarvi, said. Toser said if you know what a Christmas rom-com is, you can probably guess at the plot of this one.

Jarvi said there are three ex-boyfriend characters in the film, each of whom needs something different from the woman, who perhaps “rekindles a romance.”

Jarvi said the couple starts watching holiday rom-coms Nov. 1 and “we have a great time” watching them.

“We love holiday rom-coms,” Jarvi said.

Charles has worked on other films involving the Inn, including “Reporting for Christmas.” It was a Top 15 release on Hulu in 2023, Charles said in an email.

Charles said he and his partner at Very Merry Entertainment, John Bosher, worked with Jarvi and Toser on another film, the horror “Haunt Season,” which Charles said was released last October.

“Exes of Christmas Past” stars Brittany Underwood and Alex Trumble, who Charles said are a real-life couple playing love interests in a film for the first time together.

Charles said at the time “Reporting for Christmas” came out that the film team was “looking for charming bed-and-breakfasts,” and the Cherry Tree Inn stood out.

Filming for “Exes of Christmas Past” started earlier in April in Libertyville. Local businesses were included in filming and are expected to appear by name, according to the Daily Herald.

The Cherry Tree Inn is well known among fans of the “Groundhog Day,” the cult classic filmed in Woodstock that and is the basis for the city’s annual Groundhog Days festivities and prognostication.

In “Groundhog Day,” the bed-and-breakfast where Bill Murray’s main character stayed was called the “Cherry Street Inn,” but in real life and in the “Exes of Christmas Past,” it’s Cherry Tree Inn Bed and Breakfast.

Lori Miarecki, who owns the bed-and-breakfast with her husband, George, said having the crew there was a happy experience, with people laughing and clapping every time filming cuts.

The lobby of the inn had a table of Christmas goodies used during filming. Morgan Beck of Desserts and Stuff Bakery in Woodstock made the holiday cookies and other goodies.

Beck lives near the Cherry Tree Inn and had also made baked goods for “Reporting for Christmas.” Beck said she made a variety of cookies for “Exes of Christmas Past,” some that were hot cocoa mug-shaped sugar cookies with phrases like “Cup of Cheer” on them. She also got to make peanut butter blossoms with Hershey kisses and red and green sprinkles.

“I feel pretty honored,” Beck said.

She said she would love to have a watch party when the film comes out and maybe she’d have to make the cookies again. She added that from what she had gathered, viewers might get to see the desserts a little more this time. The bed-and-breakfast’s kitchen was dedicated solely to “marshmallow manufacturing” for three days, Miarecki said.

The film team is hoping to release the movie in time for the holidays on a streaming service, Jarvi said.

Jarvi said Woodstock was treating the crew “very well” and the Cherry Tree Inn had been the “best host to us.”