At Arrowhead, we found out how Hallmark is making Christmas in July for Chiefs movie

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Later this year, when the Hallmark Christmas movie about the Kansas City Chiefs debuts, the world will get to see just how passionate Chiefs Kingdom is.

About 1,000 fans wore their own winter Chiefs gear — stocking caps, coats, blankets, scarves — and sat in the stands at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in temperatures that soared above 90 degrees on Monday.

As if a little heat could keep a Chiefs fan out of Arrowhead.

They wanted to be there for the chance to be in “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story,” the first movie ever made in the stadium and first Hallmark Christmas movie filmed in Kansas City.

With all the expert movie magic at Hallmark’s disposal, you will never see those fans sweat, thanks to ice packs shoved down their backs and wrapped around their necks during filming, and by day’s end, cast and crew had guzzled 2,000 bottles of water.

But when you see those screaming Chiefs fans on your TV screen, they will look cold, like they’re sitting in Arrowhead in December.

That’s the “secret sauce” behind the magic of a Hallmark Christmas movie, the way filmmakers help viewers believe it’s Christmas when they’re watching scenes filmed in summer, said Lindsey Roy, senior vice president of Brand and Experiences for Hallmark.

“To have Hallmark and certainly Hallmark Christmas movies specifically, being filmed here at GEHA Field at Arrowhead is a dream for us,” Lara Krug, chief media and marketing officer for the Chiefs, told local media who were invited to watch the moviemaking at the stadium on Tuesday.

“To get to pretend that it’s Christmas right now in the middle of July is also a bit of the fun movie magic.”

Arrowhead is dressed for Christmas this week, where three days of scheduled filming began Monday. It is a moment like no other, bringing together two of Kansas City’s most iconic brands and their ardent fans, the biggest movie Hallmark has ever made, the company says.

“We have a big scope here, with the number of extras we’re shooting with, the complexity of the shoot,” said Lisa Hamilton Daly, executive vice president of programming for Hallmark Media.

“I watched our team yesterday manage a crazy day. Really a day like I’ve never seen us do before with so many VIPs, extras and tons of fans and everything. It was a huge shoot for us.

“Yes, it was a lot of money, more money than we often spend and it was just a complex shoot.”

On Tuesday there were still temporary signs outside some of the suites on the club level that gave clues to some of the VIPs who filmed scenes on the day before, including Chiefs coach Andy Reid and Donna Kelce, mother of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

NBC “Today” show co-host Jenna Bush Hager filmed her cameo at Arrowhead on Monday, too, as did Chiefs players — guard Trey Smith, wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr., running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire and defensive end George Karlaftis will appear — before they headed to training camp in St. Joseph on Tuesday.

It’s very Christmasy in Arrowhead this week, where the jumbotron on Tuesday read “Happy Holidays.”

Chiefs mascot KC Wolf wore a Santa costume and hat.

On one of the suite levels, a crew Tuesday set up faux Christmas trees and hung white lights from the ceiling for one scene. X marks made with black tape on the floor showed the actors where to stand.

A big tailgating scene with lead actors Tyler Hynes and Hunter King was slated for filming Tuesday, but thunderstorms and lightning early in the day delayed those plans.

Welcome to Missouri.

“I was so worried that we would lose people yesterday and our team was so prepared,” said Hamilton Daly. “We had ice packs. We had umbrellas, We had air conditioners. We had fans. We hustled people in because they had to be there wrapped up in sweaters pretending they were cold. It was a lot of acting to do that.”

Extras dressed themselves, many in their favorite Chiefs outfits, lucky hats and shirts, “their whatever, cheering with their big foam fingers,” said Roy.

“It was cool. Kids and adults and people who have been big Chiefs fans for a long time and people who love Hallmark.

“And people were really just taking care of each other.Honestly … you saw fans making sure, ‘hey, you need an ice pack?’ All the Chiefs employees making sure everyone had water. The cast caring for each other. It was just a cool moment of seeing the community. It’s a beautiful thing.”

‘I was having hot cocoa’

Talking to local reporters outside the stadium on Tuesday between scenes, stars Hynes and King laughed off questions about the heat, though they both held bottles of water and battery-operated fans.

King wore a long Chiefs sweater coat that is bound to go viral.

“It was freezing” on Monday, Hynes said.

“Yeah … I was having hot cocoa,” said King.

King used the phrase of the day — a “dream come true” — describing what it was like to film in a stadium like Arrowhead, a first for her.

“It’s insane,” said Hynes. “I shot something here for the promo for last season’s Super Bowl and it was empty and it was beautiful and it was a special moment.

“Being here with the background performers and everybody from both sides, Hallmark and Chiefs, it was really a unique and special moment.”

Hynes is not known for being a big sports fan, but said “I am now.”

“No, truly. I feel like we kinda have to be at this point, especially filming in a stadium and making a movie about the Chiefs, how could you not?” said King.

Hynes said co-star Ed Begley Jr. has had him crying “every single day.” He’s excited for people “to see the chemistry between the cast members and just the love for the Chiefs. You can feel it when you’re here, when we’re filming.”

He said he’s been taken aback by how many people want to take a picture with him.

“It never occurred to me that anyone would want a photo with me,” said the man dubbed a “Hallmark hunk.”

“But being here in Kansas City, there seems to be a lot of people who love Hallmark and obviously love the Chiefs.

“But being in a city that’s familiar with these movies has been a different experience and truly something special. Because making these movies is so influenced by the people who watch them, for me personally.

“So being in a city where so many of those people are here, makes the whole experience different and makes it incredibly fulfilling and unique for me personally.”

No premiere date has been announced for the movie, which will air during the Hallmark Channel’s annual Countdown to Christmas, which begins in October.