Record-breaking Jenga Stacker Now Star of Hallmark Movie
After breaking numerous stacking Guinness World Records, grade 10 student Auldin Maxwell’s story has now been adapted for a Hallmark movie, “A World Record Christmas” which premiered on the W Network this month. Maxwell has been stacking blocks since the age of six.
By Richard Cole · November 17, 2023
In a world where Jenga blocks become the unlikely stars of a Hallmark Christmas movie, Salmon Arm’s Auldin Maxwell is stacking up success.
Since his early days as a little stacking prodigy, Maxwell, now a Grade 10 student at Jackson Secondary, has taken his love for stacking to new heights, literally. Guinness World Records bow before him, with Maxwell holding titles for stacking a mind-boggling 1,840 Jenga blocks and 900 Jenga Giant blocks.
Maxwell’s unique talent, coupled with his journey on the autism spectrum, has become the heartwarming plot line of the upcoming Hallmark movie, “A World Record Christmas,” which graced the screens on November 16 on the W Network. Who needs mistletoe when you have symmetrical towers of Jenga blocks stealing the show?
“I just loved stacking them and building these symmetrical towers,” Maxwell confessed, sporting the modesty of a true stacking virtuoso. “I have great hand-eye coordination. I really do have magic hands.”
And if you thought the tale of a Jenga prodigy making it to the big screen couldn’t get any more Hollywood, Maxwell’s stepdad dropped some knowledge bombs during a phone call, revealing that stacking things and intense focus are like superhero powers for kids on the autism spectrum. It’s a match made in stacking heaven.
Maxwell, diagnosed with autism at the age of seven, found solace and purpose in a Jenga set at the tender age of six. Fast forward a few years, and he’s not only breaking Guinness World Records but also starring in his own Hallmark movie. Eat your heart out, Spider-Man.
“It’s really hard to believe. I would have never thought that playing with my Jenga blocks when I was six would lead to a movie and five Guinness World Records,” mused Maxwell, probably contemplating his next record-breaking feat. For Maxwell’s parents, the surreal nature of their son’s journey is akin to a holiday miracle. “It feels very surreal,” said Kelly, Maxwell’s mom, adding that casual conversations now include name-dropping Hallmark and Guinness World Records.
The movie’s inception was almost as magical as Maxwell’s stacking abilities. Executive producer Antonio Cupo and writer Mark Hefti, struggling with ideas, decided to throw caution to the wind and reach out to Guinness World Records. Lo and behold, Maxwell’s story emerged as the shining star, or should we say, the meticulously stacked tower, of their Christmas tale.
“Auldin’s story added so much color and complexity,” gushed Cupo. The movie follows an autistic boy’s quest to break a world record on Christmas Eve, uniting his family and community in the process.
But the holiday magic doesn’t end there. Maxwell, true to his stacking prowess, makes a cameo in the film. “I’m just really excited to see the movie. But I will say I am a little bit nervous to see myself act. I have never seen myself act before,” admitted Maxwell, whose future endeavors might include a Hollywood star on the Blocks of Fame.
As the Maxwell family gears up for a home screening of their Hallmark masterpiece, Auldin’s dreams don’t stop at Jenga blocks. A basketball enthusiast, he’s eyeing Guinness records for behind-the-backboard shots, Rubik’s Cubes solved on a unicycle, and even stacking bowling balls and dominoes. If Guinness had a record for stacking the most dreams, Maxwell would undoubtedly hold that too.