Guarding Stars is a 2026 holiday romantic comedy movie from Netflix. Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum directed it, and Erin Cardillo and Richard Keith wrote the script, which is based on Katherine Center’s 2022 novel The Bodyguard.
The cast includes Leighton Meester, Jared Padalecki, Andie MacDowell, Noah LaLonde, Walker Hayes, Toby Sandeman and Siobhan Williams. The crew shot it in Calgary and High River, Alberta, even though the story is set in Montana. For more titles like this, check our comedy and romance sections, and our Alberta category.
Hannah Brooks is a no-nonsense bodyguard. Her new job is to protect Jack Stapleton, a famous action star with a stalker. Jack does not want his family to worry, so he asks Hannah to pose as his girlfriend when they go to the family ranch for the holidays. The two spend so much time together that the job starts to feel like more than a job, and the holiday gets tricky fast.
The movie streams only on Netflix from November 18, 2026, according to What’s on Netflix. You can find more streaming titles in our movies category.
Table of Contents
When and Where Was Guarding Stars Filmed?
| Film Name | Guarding Stars |
| Genres | Comedy, Romance, Holiday |
| Filming Locations | Calgary and High River, Alberta, Canada |
| Filming Dates | December 4, 2025 to March 10, 2026 (with a break in January) |
| Cinematography by | Matt Sakatani Roe |
| Release Date | November 18, 2026 (Netflix) |
Filming began on December 4, 2025, in Calgary and the nearby town of High River. Hollywood North Buzz listed two Calgary blocks: December 4 to 20, 2025, and February 17 to March 10, 2026. The shoot paused in January 2026. Parade reported that Jared Padalecki had shared news of a broken leg on X in early January, but Netflix has not said why filming stopped, so please treat the link between the two as a report.
Early schedules also listed Vancouver, British Columbia, for January, and What’s on Netflix says some filming happened there. Everything we can confirm was shot in Alberta, Canada. We could not confirm who handled the cinematography, and we will add it as soon as it is credited.
📍University of Calgary, Calgary
Address: 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
The main campus of the University of Calgary was one of the first big stops for the crew. They filmed there on December 12, 13, 15 and 16, 2025, according to the university’s own news story. The university also called it the third Netflix production to film on campus in 2025.
An outdoor action scene was set up outside Hunter Student Commons. Inside the Faculty of Nursing, the Clinical Simulation Learning Centre was turned into an ER hospital set. The crew also shot a boardroom scene on campus, but the university did not say which room it was.
Visiting: We could not confirm whether the Nursing center is open to visitors, so please check before you go.
📍Stephen Avenue, Calgary
Address: Stephen Avenue Walk, 8 Avenue SW, Calgary, AB, Canada
Leighton Meester was seen filming on Stephen Avenue, Calgary’s downtown shopping street. Daily Hive reported on December 18, 2025, that a shop worker posted a TikTok of her on the street, with a crew and yellow taxis around her.
The report does not say which scene was shot there. Another Netflix show shot in this city is The Abandons, a Western drama.
Visiting: Stephen Avenue is a public pedestrian street, so you can walk it freely. Shop hours differ, so please check before you go.
📍Main Street and George Lane Memorial Park, High River
Netflix shot in High River, a town south of Calgary, from December 4 to 6, 2025. The Town of High River named 5 Avenue SW and 1 Street SW as filming areas, according to the Rocky Mountain Outlook.
The biggest scene was the town’s 40th Santa Claus Parade on Friday, December 5, 2025. CP24 said Netflix sent a crew to film it, with one float carrying the film’s cast, and that snow fell through the night.
Lakeland News also reported that filming happened in George Lane Memorial Park and other spots in town. We could not find which scenes were shot in the park, so please treat it as a report. Another show shot in this town is Anna Pigeon, a USA Network crime drama that used the Highwood Centre.
Visiting: Main Street and the park are public, so you can walk around. The parade is held once a year, usually in early December.
📍Other Areas of Calgary
These are the only exact places named so far. Calgary was the base for both shooting blocks, and some reports mention other spots without naming them. We could not find which ranch stood in for the Stapleton family ranch in Montana, and we will update this guide as soon as it is named.
Heritage Park Historical Village hosted a different holiday shoot, a Christmas romance from 2025. Noah LaLonde has also filmed in this city for the Netflix teen drama My Life With the Walter Boys.
Guarding Stars Behind the Scenes
To make your search for Guarding Stars filming even more interesting, here are two posts from the film’s star, Jared Padalecki. On March 13, 2026, he shared a snowy selfie on Instagram, thanked Calgary for being great hosts, and joked about wanting “a little less snow next time.”
Earlier, in November 2025, Padalecki posted a video with author Katherine Center and Leighton Meester. They asked fans for new title ideas, because The Bodyguard was already the name of a famous 1992 film.
Here is a fun one: the cast rode on a float in High River’s Santa Claus Parade while the crew filmed it, so locals watched a movie scene happen live. CP24 reported it.
We will add more cast and crew Instagram posts and set photos here as soon as they are shared.
Is There Any Trailer Available for Guarding Stars?
Yes. Netflix released the official trailer on October 14, 2026. It shows the first meeting between Jack and Hannah, when she flips him onto his back, and it also shows their first kiss. You can watch it on Netflix’s official channels.
The movie streams only on Netflix from November 18, 2026.
FAQs
Q1: Where was Guarding Stars filmed?
A1: In Alberta, Canada, mainly in Calgary and the town of High River. The story is set in Montana, but no Montana filming has been reported.
Q2: When was Guarding Stars filmed?
A2: Filming began on December 4, 2025. Reports list Calgary blocks from December 4 to 20, 2025, and from February 17 to March 10, 2026.
Q3: Was Guarding Stars filmed at the University of Calgary?
A3: Yes. The university says the crew filmed on its main campus on December 12, 13, 15 and 16, 2025, including outside Hunter Student Commons.
Q4: Which town hosted the Santa Claus Parade scene?
A4: High River, Alberta. The crew filmed the town’s 40th Santa Claus Parade on December 5, 2025.
Q5: Who directed Guarding Stars, and what was its first title?
A5: Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum directed it. It was first called The Bodyguard, after Katherine Center’s 2022 novel, and got its new title in January 2026.
Q6: When and where can I watch Guarding Stars?
A6: It streams on Netflix from November 18, 2026.
Guarding Stars turns Calgary’s campus and streets and a small foothills town into a snowy Montana. A few details are still unconfirmed, including the cinematographer, the ranch location and the reported Vancouver shoot, and we will update this guide as soon as they come out. For another take, see the 4Filming report on the same movie, and check back soon for more filming-location guides.
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