SALT LAKE CITY — It’s only spring, but BYUtv is looking forward to the holidays.
The family entertainment network announced Wednesday that a film adaptation of Jason Wright’s novel “Christmas Jars,” which was released in 2005, will air during the 2019 Christmas season.
Production for the film takes place through March 2019 in Ottawa, Ontario, according to a news release. The movie tells the story of reporter Hope Jensen, who uncovers the secret behind the "Christmas Jars" — glass jars filled with coins and bills anonymously left for people in need. It’s a story idea Wright had when he realized he was treating Christmas like a 24-hour holiday.
“If you believe at all in Christianity, the idea is to keep that feeling and purpose with you all year round,” Wright told the Deseret News when his book first came out. “(My family) started then, in October, and from then through Christmas, we put all our spare change into a jar. Then at Christmas, we found someone to give it to — anonymously.
"The important idea was not the amount of money we collected that year," Wright continued. "We could have just written a check for that amount. The thing that made the difference was the daily giving to that jar, the daily reminder of Christmas."
BYUtv's announcement comes just two weeks after the network announced its new shows for the spring season, including “Dwight in Shining Armor” and the family cooking competition “Dinner Takes All.” According to Michael Dunn, managing director of BYUtv, “Christmas Jars” will fit right along with those programs and other family-oriented shows the network airs.
"'Christmas Jars' is a phenomenon with a reach far beyond that of a typical novel, as it created a new tradition that has changed many lives over the years," Dunn said in the news release. "It is exactly the kind of uplifting story that we want to be part of at BYUtv, and we hope that this film will bring families together each holiday season and inspire them to start 'Christmas Jars' of their own."