The story of one Guinness World Records title holder was so heartwarming that it’s been transformed into a festive movie by Hallmark.
A World Record Christmas is set to premiere this week, and here you’ll find everything you need to know about the film, when and where you can watch it, the all-star cast and the true story of young Auldin Maxwell – the inspiration behind it all.
What is A World Record Christmas about?
A World Record Christmas tells the story of a young autistic boy named Charlie – inspired by Auldin - who dreams of breaking a Guinness World Records title.
Charlie has an incredible knack for building huge towers with Jenga blocks and it’s this skill that leads him to attempt a record on Christmas Eve.
His ambition brings his family – and the whole town – together as people gather to watch his record-breaking dream become a reality.
A Guinness World Records Adjudicator comes to town to oversee Charlie’s attempt, and while we don’t want to totally give away what happens, you can be sure it’ll have the classic heartwarming conclusion that Hallmark is famous for.
Who is Auldin Maxwell?
Auldin Maxwell is a 15-year-old boy from Canada who has become a record-breaking legend.
And how many teenagers out there can say they inspired a movie?
Auldin, who is on the autism spectrum, holds two Guinness World Records titles: most Jenga blocks stacked on one vertical Jenga block (1,840) and most Jenga GIANT blocks stacked on one vertical Jenga GIANT block (900).
His record-breaking journey began when he was just 12 years old.
He first smashed the record in November 2020 with 693 blocks, far surpassing the previous record of 485 set earlier that year by Tai Star Valianti (USA).
Auldin’s record was broken in January 2021 by Justin Cheung (Canada) with 809 blocks, but he took it back just two months later with 1,400.
Not stopping there, he came back once more to beat his own record with a whopping 1,840 blocks in January, this year.
Auldin first claimed his second record in April 2021 after being gifted some Jenga GIANT blocks from Jenga, who were clearly very impressed with his stacking abilities.
He stacked 500 Jenga GIANT blocks to claim the record and broke it again in January with 900.
Auldin was on the set of A World Record Christmas and makes a surprise cameo appearance in the movie.
He told us: “I had an absolute blast going to the set! As we drove in, we stepped out and were greeted by the sight of a scene being filmed where my character was building the Jenga structure.
“It was truly amazing to witness how well they replicated the Jenga structure and the platform it sat on. Seeing all the actors in their costumes added an extra touch of excitement to the whole experience for me.”
And when we asked him what it was like filming his cameo, he said: “I absolutely loved being on camera! When I initially hoped to get the [main] role, they wanted to assess my acting skills to determine if I could play myself in the movie.
“However, since I had never been on camera before, I was given a smaller role, which I'm actually glad about. When it came time for me to deliver my lines in that part, it was a bit scary, but surprisingly, it turned out to be much more fun and easier than I had expected.”
You can read more about Auldin and his record-breaking achievements here.
A World Record Christmas cast
As well as Auldin himself, the movie stars Hallmark darling Nikki DeLoach as the main character’s mom Marissa Parsons.
Nikki is a seasoned actor with more than 70 credits to her name, including feature films Love & Other Drugs and The House Bunny.
Charlie is played by 14-year-old Aias Dalman, who also has autism.
Even at such a young age, Aias already has more than 30 acting credits from shorts to TV shows and movies.
The role of his stepfather Eric is portrayed by another Hallmark regular, Lucas Bryant.
Lucas is also known for his roles in The Vow and TV series Odyssey 5.
Charlie’s biological father Peter – who he hopes to win back by becoming a record holder – is played by Matt Hamilton, who you may recognize from TV series Turner & Hooch.
A World Record Christmas also stars Daphne Hoskins as Amy, Miranda Edwards as Hillary Hartman, April Telek as Jane and Alison Wandzura as Ophelia Bennett.
When and where can I watch A World Record Christmas?
A World Record Christmas premieres on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries at 8/7c on Thursday 16 November.
Not free then? Don’t worry, it’s going to be repeated so you’ll have plenty of chances to see it.
Here’s a full list of the screenings:
• Thursday 16 November – 8/7c
• Saturday 18 November – 10/9c
• Sunday 19 November – 6/5c
• Saturday 25 November – 4/3c
• Thursday 30 November – 6/5c
• Monday 4 December – 10/9c
• Sunday 10 December – 10a/9c
• Friday 15 December – 4/3c
• Friday 22 December – 12a/11c
• Saturday 30 December – 6/5c
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