Lucy Hale Reunites With Ian Harding for a New Holiday Romance

Lucy Hale and Ian Harding have reunited on screen nearly a decade after Pretty Little Liars ended, bringing their familiar chemistry to the holiday romantic comedy The 12 Dates of Christmas. The former co-stars discussed the experience while promoting the film, according to the article. Hale and Harding became widely associated with the television couple Aria Montgomery and Ezra Fitz. Their characters’ relationship was a major storyline in the series, and fans gave the pair the nickname “Ezria.” In their new film, however, the actors play different characters: Christina and Peter. Hale said working with Harding again felt natural from the start. She described him as kind and recalled that he still sings while getting ready in his dressing room. She also called him a friend, suggesting that their connection continued beyond their shared work on the series. Harding offered a similar account of their reunion, saying they slipped back into an easy rhythm so quickly that he sometimes found it difficult to tell whether they were delivering scripted lines or simply talking. He said that their spontaneity helped make the scenes feel natural. The film follows Christina as she looks for love through a series of dates ahead of the holidays, while Peter enters her life when she is close to giving up on romance. Hale said the movie has the ingredients she expects from a Christmas story, while Harding described it as playful, charming and full of unusual situations. Their new roles give the longtime screen partners a chance to reunite without revisiting Aria and Ezra.