Another year, another full slate of Christmas TV highlights, including a slew of new BET Plus Christmas movies. The streaming platform has 12 new projects ranging from musical dramas to romantic comedies from Black writers, directors, actors and producers, like Christmas Angel. This includes A Royal Christmas Surprise.
The Beautie Masvaure Alt-directed movie is a sequel to last year's A Royal Surprise, where My Wife & Kids star Jennifer Freeman plays Riley Stevenson, a woman who falls for Mandla Amitu (Thapelo Mokoena) and eventually finds out that her love is African royalty. A Royal Christmas Surprise has Amitu meeting Stevenson's future in-laws.
Here's everything we know about A Royal Christmas Surprise.
A Royal Christmas Surprise release date
A Royal Christmas Surprise is set to be released on BET Plus on Thursday, November 30.
A Royal Christmas Surprise cast
The cast of A Royal Christmas Surprise features a talented ensemble of actors bringing the characters to life.
Jennifer Freeman and Thapelo Mokoena are both back reprising their roles, Riley and Mandla, from A Royal Surprise. Also returning are Abena Ayivor as Queen Nobantu Amitu and Sello Maake Ka-Ncube as King Chidike Amitu.
New additions for the sequel include Trisha Mann (The Family Business) as Auntie Gina, Andi Anderson (Snap) as Nicole, Andrae Todd James Bicy (ATL Homicide) as Walter, Tony Grant (Love Thy Neighbor) as Uncle Ray, Karra Robinson as the Real Estate Agent, Sandy E. Scott as a fair attendee.
A Royal Christmas Surprise plot
Here is the synopsis of A Royal Christmas Surprise:
"Riley is planning the perfect Christmas for her soon-to-be husband, Mandla. As Riley's family hosts Mandla's South African royal parents in Kentucky, Riley receives a surprise from Mandla that will jeopardize her plans with her future husband."
A Royal Christmas Surprise trailer
Here is the trailer for A Royal Christmas Surprise:
A Royal Christmas Surprise Director Beautie Masvaure Alt
Beautie Masvaure Alt, the accomplished South African director, has made a significant mark in the movie industry with notable works like Shaina (2020) and A Royal Surprise (2022). Recognized for her directorial prowess, Beautie earned a nomination for Best First Feature Film Director at the African Movie Academy Awards, highlighting her outstanding contributions to cinema. Her excellence continued to be acknowledged as she received another nomination in the same category at the 2021 Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) in Los Angeles.
Her movie Shaina achieved acclaim, securing an Audience Award at the New African Film Festival in New York City, the Best International Film accolade at the Portland Film Festival and a prestigious nomination for the Peabody Award. Beautie Masvaure Alt's dedication to storytelling and her ability to captivate audiences have solidified her as a noteworthy director in the global film landscape.
