Los Angeles, CA –May 7, 2020–Celebrating a milestone 30 years of the iconic Lifetime Original Movie this year, Lifetime continues to dominate the genre with the top three original movies in ad-supported cable for 2020 withThe Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel, Stolen By My Mother: The Kamiyah Mobley Story and Chris Watts: Confessions of a Killerin key demos. Collectively, the movies have reached 24.4 million total viewers, through their airings this year.
Continuing its supremacy in television movies, Lifetime will premiere an additional 50 new movies from May through the end of 2020, including new originals for the network’s annual It’s a Wonderful Lifetime holiday slate. Lifetime is also currently ramping up development and production on its2021movie pipeline which currently includes the highly anticipated Salt-N-Pepa and Wendy Williams biopics, and the V.C.Andrews Ruby LandryMovie Series.
“The legacy of Lifetime Original Movies is undeniable, as we celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the pop culture phenomenon this year,” said Amy Winter, EVP, Head of Programming, Lifetime and LMN. “With everyone’s lives radically shifted in the past weeks, what has remained constant is Lifetime’s ability to deliver top quality movie premieres like The Clark Sisters to our audiences and provide them some much needed entertainment and escape. With over 50 more titles to debut between now and the end of the year, our storytelling ability is further strengthened by the incredible talent partners we have lined up.”
Lifetime brings on an impressive roster of top talent to produce new films including Golden Globe award winning actress Jamie Lee Curtis who will executive produce, star in and direct the new film, How We Sleep at Night: The Sara Cunningham Story, the true story and personal journey of a devout Christian mother who had to come to terms with her son being gay. Curtis joins Lifetime’s Broader Focus roster of actresses turned director; whom Lifetime provided their first long form directing opportunity. Based on Cunningham’s memoir, Curtis will direct from a script written by Sally Robinson. How We Sleep At Night will be distributed by Sony Pictures Television.
With the proven success of Lifetime’s partnership with trusted journalist Robin Robertson film and documentary projects with this year’s Stolen By My Mother: The Kamiyah Mobley Story,Lifetime and Roberts once again team up for the next title under the Robin Roberts Presents banner, A Home of Their Own. The movie and accompanying documentary reveal the inspirational true story of Jolene Schlander and Calvin Wield who turned their lives upside down to foster children of opioid addicts, to join their own kids, all under one roof. Produced by Rock‘n Robin and Lincoln Square Productions, executive producers are Roberts, Linda Berman and Yvonne Chotzen. The script is written by Maria Nation.
Continuing in the biopic arena, Lifetime is currently in development on a third installment of the Harry & Meghan movie franchise, Harry & Meghan: Escaping the Palace (working title), following the couple’s controversial conscious uncoupling from the crown, after the birth of their son Archie. The movie details the struggles of the new parents and unique challenges of being part of the royal family, which ultimately led Harry and Meghan to give up their royal ties to forge a new life on their own terms. The script is being written by Scarlett Lacey and executive producers are Merideth Finn and Michele Weiss. Later this year, Lifetime will once again be the ultimate 24/7 destination for holidays beginning late October through Christmas for a star studded It’s a Wonderful Lifetime slate.
Providing over 100 original holiday movies for the past 20 years, Lifetime is the #1 holiday movie destination; with over 80.1 million Total Viewers3, reaching more viewers with its original holiday movie telecasts than any other network.During the holiday season, Lifetime ranked as a top 5 entertainment cable network with Women across total day and prime4, with more original movies than any other network in 2019.National treasure Betty White joins the Lifetime holiday family for an untitled Christmas movie in which she helps whip would-be Santa’s into shape, spreading the true meaning of Christmas and leading everyone to wonder: is she secretly be Mrs. Claus? Kelly Rowland returns to executive produce and star in a sequel to her 2019 hit movie Merry Liddle Christmas, with Merry Liddle Christmas Wedding. Melissa Joan Hart jumps on the sleigh to direct Feliz NaviDad(working title),reuniting her with Mario Lopez, who is set to executive produce and star as a single dad whose daughter tries to help him find the holiday spirit after the passing of his wife. The holiday movies are currently in various stages of production.
