'When Calls the Heart' Renewed for Season 12: Everything We Know (Exclusive)

When Calls the Heart fans will be getting to spend even more time with the residents of Hope Valley!

ET can exclusively announce that the celebrated Hallmark Channel romantic drama has been renewed for season 12. The exciting news comes just over a month after season 11 kicked off on April 7.

The forthcoming season will consist of 12 episodes -- following a trend that first began in season 8 -- and production is set to kick off in July.

According to a press release from Hallmark Channel, "With more stories to tell in Hope Valley, season 12 will continue with themes about family, community, and of course romance as we move further into the 1920s."

"When Calls the Heart continues to exceed our expectations and the number of fans and viewers continue to grow every year," Executive Vice President of Programming Lisa Hamilton Daly said in the release.

"Bringing season 12 to life is a huge milestone and is a true testament to the cast and crew's hard work and dedication throughout the last decade," Daly continued. "We cannot wait for Hope Valley's next chapter full of exciting characters and storytelling!"

Meanwhile, series star and executive producer Erin Krakow expressed her excitement, sharing, "I am overjoyed that When Calls the Heart is coming back for a 12th season!"

"Our fantastic writers, cast, and crew couldn't be more excited to begin filming this next season!" Krakow added. "We are proud to tell stories that warm hearts in homes around the world and so grateful to Hallmark for being such champions of that positivity."

Ahead of the season 11 premiere, ET sat down with Krakow on the WCTH set in Vancouver, Canada, and she opened up about the journey her character, Elizabeth Thornton, is set to go on throughout the season -- specifically with regards to her burgeoning romance with Nathan Grant (Kevin McGarry) -- following her decision to break off her engagement to Lucas Bouchard (Chris McNally).

"Nothing is official. I think that would feel way too soon," Krakow shared of the burgeoning romance. "We do want to be respectful of the fact that Elizabeth and Lucas had a very real and loving relationship. It just wasn't, as it turns out, meant to be Elizabeth's lifetime or Lucas', so we are being respectful of that."

"They're waiting for their right moment," Krakow teased. "And, of course, there are things that come up along the way to interrupt that. But yeah, it's a slow burn. We're taking our time... the first time Elizabeth and Nathan see each other [after the split], you do feel that sparks are flying. But even though those sparks are flying, they still are taking their time."

"Nathan confessed his love in season 8. But Elizabeth doesn't know for sure that he still has feelings for her," she added, "and I think Nathan doesn't want to assume that just because Elizabeth and Lucas broke up, she has feelings for him. So, it's kind of a dance."

With regards to Elizabeth's relationship with Lucas, Krakow said that the split shows how much Elizabeth has come to learn about herself.

"As we've learned more about Elizabeth's heart, as she has learned more about it, we've come to the realization that her relationship with Lucas -- though beautiful and loving and respectful -- it was Elizabeth choosing safe love over great love because she just couldn't bring herself to risk losing a person that she felt like she could have that great love with," said Krakow, who also serves as an executive producer on the long-running romantic drama. "I think she was really in denial about it for a long time, and so finally, she's reached a point where she can be truly honest with how she's feeling."

"And that's a real scary, exciting, authentic kinda love," she added. "So I'm thrilled about it."

When Calls the Heart airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Hallmark Channel.

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