Lifetime has added five new movies to its "Ripped from the Headlines" event, all from best-selling true crime author Ann Rule. And the most exciting part of the news is that two of the thriller films will serve as small-screen directorial debuts for soap opera alums Ashley Williams (ex-Danielle Andropoulos, As the World Turns) and Robin Givens (ex-Dr. Phillips, The Bold and the Beautiful).
Williams is set to direct Practice to Deceive, which tells the story of a small island town that erupts in chaos when a local businessman is found dead the day after Christmas. As the investigation gets underway, everyone -- from the victim's wife, his neighbors, and his best friend -- is questioned.
Givens will be helming A Murder to Remember, which was inspired by Rule's true crime collection Empty Promises. The film follows a couple whose one-year anniversary camping trip turns deadly for the husband, leaving the wife alone in the wilderness. When she accepts help from a fellow camper, she ends up putting her life in his hands -- but she may end up needing protection from him.
The three other films to be included in the Ann Rule series are Bitter Harvest, which follows a brilliant doctor and mother who has the epitome of a picture perfect life -- but behind the curtain is a rocky marriage that takes a terrible turn and leaves her family in ruin; Danger in the Dorm, which tells the story of a quiet college campus becoming terrorized by the threat of a serial killer after an honor student is murdered in her dorm; and Mortal Danger, which centers on a seemingly perfect romance that turns violent and sends the woman in the relationship into hiding, where she continues to work with police to bring her former flame to justice.
As reported by Variety, all five films are being prepped for a summer launch. Casting is currently underway, so keep checking back to Soap Central to see if any daytime stars make the cut.
Ashley Williams starred as ATWT's Dani from 1994 to 1996 before going on to appear in series like How I Met Your Mother and The Jim Gaffigan Show. Robin Givens took on the brief 2018 role of B&B's Dr. Phillips but is best known for series like Head of the Class and House of Payne. She most recently starred in the primetime soap Ambitions.
Lifetime's "Ripped from the Headlines" film series has proven to be super popular with viewers, with the network recently having added three other titles to the special event's lineup. One of those films is You Can't Take My Daughter, which will star The Young and the Restless alum Lyndsy Fonseca (ex-Colleen Carlton). For more information, read Soap Central's article on the film here.
What do you think about Lifetime beginning production on five films based on Ann Rule novels? How do you feel about Ashley Williams and Robin Givens signing on to direct two of the five? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
