Marie Osmond and Carly Hughes on their new Lifetime Christmas movie

ATLANTA - Legendary entertainer Marie Osmond may have one of the sunniest personalities in show business, but in the new holiday flick The Christmas Edition, she’s a little bit country...and a whole lotta Scrooge.

“Well, you know, I've been me for multiple decades now, so it's really time for me to be someone else,” laughs the Grammy-nominated singer.

The Christmas Edition follows a young journalist — played by Carly Hughes — as she takes over a small newspaper in Alaska.  Hughes says the Lifetime movie is filled with holiday flavor (gingerbread flavor, to be exact…watch the movie and you’ll understand), even though it was filmed in August in Utah.

"I mean, my Christmas tree has been up since Halloween, so I can be in the Christmas spirit at the drop of a dime,” laughs Hughes.  “But the thing that got me was that heat and wearing 18 layers of Christmas clothing!”  

But both stars say that heat has nothing on the warm feeling they both get being part of a project built on Christmas cheer — especially as a tough year comes to an end.

"My mom and I are like this,” says Hughes, crossing her fingers. “So, it's heartbreaking. I can't fly, she can't fly, so I have not seen her, by Christmas, in over a year.  So, to do this film meant everything, because she gets to see me at Christmas, in her home.”

Of being part of Christmas traditions, Osmond adds, "I started out at three years old in Andy Williams Christmas specials. Bob Hope, when I was doing all my country hits, I toured all over with Bob…so this is a great tradition.  I love traditions, I love things that people can count on.  And if you can't go out and see your family, like Carly was saying, there's nothing better than making a television date."

The Christmas Edition premieres on Lifetime Sunday night at 8:00 p.m.; click here for more information.