Reba McEntire’s newest film, Reba McEntire’s The Hammer is out now! The movie, based on the real-life of traveling circuit judge, Kim Wanker, premiered on Saturday (Jan. 7) on Lifetime. The Hammer marks the second film the legendary country icon has taken up with the network. She previously starred, and executive produced Reba McEntire’s Christmas in Tune.
The Hammer finds McEntire playing the role of Kim Wheeler – a fiery lawyer who is appointed Judge of the 5th District of Nevada. Throughout the movie, Wheeler finds herself in the middle of the death investigation of her predecessor. But there’s a twist. Her sister, Kris, played by Melissa Peterman, becomes the prime suspect in the case.
Those familiar with McEntire’s previous TV ventures will recognize Peterman as a familiar face because she co-starred alongside the “Fancy” singer in the hilarious comedy series, Reba, which ran for six seasons – on The WB for five and The CW for one. Peterman, who portrayed Barbara Jean in Reba, recently opened up about her new role in The Hammer and how it differentiates from McEntire’s role as a judge.
“We’re definitely on different ends of the spectrum,” Peterman told KTLA. “So, I play her sister Kris. I own a brothel. We’re tight, but I get myself into a little bit of trouble, and my sister, you know, I need her help.”
“The stakes are high, the stories are interesting, and she’s a firecracker. She’s a pistol,” Peterman added of McEntire’s character, as well as the movie.
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One of the more lighthearted scenes in The Hammer is when McEntire and Peterman’s characters get drunk and share the stage to sing karaoke to The Judds’ classic country hit, “Girl’s Night Out.”
“Reba McEntire’s #TheHammer is the perfect movie for girl’s night! Starting tomorrow, watch on the Lifetime app, http://mylifetime.com, and OnDemand!” the official Twitter page for the Lifetime network tweeted out the fun-filled moment from the film ahead of its debut.
Reba McEntire’s #TheHammer is the perfect movie for girl’s night! Starting tomorrow, watch on the Lifetime app, https://t.co/qX8Z1N6iev and OnDemand! pic.twitter.com/QHpSL3CGJV
— Lifetime (@lifetimetv) January 8, 2023
My Three favorite women of country @reba singing @juddsofficial . Great ending to #thehammer on @lifetimetv pic.twitter.com/TvQ5J7cMB4
— Sarah Megan Crowe (@Sarah_Megan7) January 8, 2023
And when asked if she and McEntire go to the bar to drink together in real-life, Peterman jokes, “It’s more like a crown and seven… I do know her cocktail.”
Along with acting out the role of Kim Wheeler, McEntire also serves as executive producer for The Hammer, which means she may have had the opportunity to make some decisions regarding the cast. Not only did she likely wrangle buddy Peterman, but her real-life boyfriend Rex Linn also appears in the film. In The Hammer , Linn plays the role of Bart, a mysterious cowboy with unknown motives.
“I’m going to guess that it was probably Reba’s [decision] because she’s an executive producer,” Peterman said of the selected cast for the film. “They brought me in to play her sister, Kris, and it was just that kind of call that you wait to get because we get to work together again, and I get to play her sister.”
Reflecting on her time on the Reba sitcom, Peterman adds, “I don’t think in any other world we would’ve met. I think I would’ve been the lady where they would say, like, ‘Mam. You can’t go backstage. So, I met her on the show, and we’ve been friends ever since.”
Reba McEntire’s The Hammer is available to stream on the Lifetime app.
