Justin Hartley to Star in Family Drama ‘The Noel Diary’ for Netflix

Dave McNary
Updated ·2 min read

“This is Us” star Justin Hartley, Bonnie Bedelia and Treat Williams have been cast in the Netflix family drama “The Noel Diary.”

Netflix announced Wednesday it had acquired the movie rights to Richard Paul Evans’ New York Times bestselling novel, published in 2017. Charles Shyer, whose credits include “Alfie” and “Father of the Bride,” will direct from a script he’s writing with Rebecca Connor and David Golden (“Dangerous Lies”).

Hartley will also executive produce. He will portray a bestselling author who returns home at Christmas to settle the estate of his estranged mother, who kicked him out of the house when he was just 16. He then discovers a diary that may hold secrets to his own past and that of a beautiful young woman on a mysterious journey of her own. Together, they embark on an adventure to confront their pasts and discover a future that’s totally unexpected.

Producers are Timothy O. Johnson with Johnson Production Group, Margret Huddleston and Stephanie Slack. Hartley and Norman Stephens are executive producing.

Hartley portrays Kevin Pearson in the NBC series “This Is Us,” which has aired for four seasons. He broke out in the superhero series “Smallville” and appeared in the 2020 feature film “The Hunt.” Hartley is repped by CAA and Jackoway Austen.

Bedelia’s credits include NBC’s “Parenthood” and the first two “Die Hard” movies. She’s repped by Innovative Artists.

Williams’ credits include “Everwood,” “Blue Bloods” and the film “Drunk Parents” opposite Alec Baldwin and Salma Hayek. Williams is repped by APA. The news was first reported by Deadline Hollywood.

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