Karen Kingsbury’s THE CHRISTMAS RING is coming home for Christmas, with a Great American Pure Flix streaming premiere Nov. 5, 2026, followed by a Great American Family and GFAM+ debut Nov. 7 at 8 p.m.
“It’ll be an event and a way to really celebrate the true meaning of Christmas,” bestselling author and executive producer Karen Kingsbury told Movieguide® ahead of the movie’s 2025 theatrical release.
The new dates put the tender romance — and one very well-traveled ring — within easy reach of families at home. Great American Media President and CEO Bill Abbott said the story fits the heart of the network’s annual Great American Christmas celebration.
“THE CHRISTMAS RING beautifully reflects what Great American Christmas stands for: exceptional storytelling with heart, purpose, and lasting meaning,” Abbott said. “We are honored to bring Karen’s beloved story to the screen and to share it with families this Christmas.”
Based on Kingsbury’s 2025 book, the movie stars actress Jana Kramer as Vanessa Mayfield, a military widow who has spent years searching for a lost gold-and-ruby family heirloom. Her great-grandfather discovered the ring in Normandy on D-Day, and generations of her family treasured it before it slipped from Vanessa’s hands.
Her search leads to Ben Miller, a widowed antiques dealer played by actor Benjamin Hollingsworth. Their shared grief becomes a friendship and then the possibility of a second chance at love, but Ben’s father and business partner, Howard Miller — played by actor Kelsey Grammer — unknowingly acquires the missing ring and plans to sell it.
Actress Megan Ashley Brown plays Vanessa’s college-age daughter, Sadie, while singer Jessie James Decker joins the ensemble. As Vanessa prepares for a military Christmas dance and Sadie’s return home, Ben realizes exactly what his father has found and races to reunite Vanessa with her family’s past.
Related: Jana Kramer Talks About What Makes Christmas Special | The Christmas Ring Interview
“THE CHRISTMAS RING is a heartfelt, delightful Christmas movie,” Movieguide®’s review says, praising its “strong Christian worldview” and its emphasis on Scripture, prayer, the Nativity, family, friendship, community and forgiveness.
The review also applauds the movie’s respect for America’s servicemen and women. It notes no foul language, violence, nudity, alcohol or drug use; the limited cautionary material includes a kiss and a few brief family disagreements that end in apologies and forgiveness.
The production put that patriotic appreciation on camera, too. Nearly 100 active or retired military members appear in the movie, including the late World War II veteran and actor James Daniels.
“It was my honor to include actual military for the background acting in our movie,” Kingsbury said in Great American Media’s announcement. “I have a feeling people will want to watch it with their families and loved ones…again and again this Christmas.”
Beneath the holiday glow, however, sits an honest look at loss. Kramer said the story understands why Christmas can magnify an empty chair, even as familiar stories can offer a measure of comfort.
“We all have struggled with some sort of loss, and around the holidays, that can be highlighted a bit more and that can bring up more pain,” Kramer told Movieguide®. “And I think where we touched on that in the movie was a beautiful piece.”
Hollingsworth likewise called the story a nod to beloved romances from the 1990s and early 2000s, but with themes that reach past tinsel and easy laughs.
“It kind of is a nod to some of the movies we grew up with in the ’90s and early 2000s that explore those things that aren’t necessarily like slapstick comedy kind of stuff, but stuff that is more eternal and introspective and timeless in nature,” Hollingsworth told Movieguide®.
Kingsbury co-wrote the adaptation with director Tyler Russell and served as executive producer. THE CHRISTMAS RING streams on Great American Pure Flix Nov. 5, then airs on Great American Family and GFAM+ Nov. 7 at 8 p.m.
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