The female-focused cable channel has a new Saturday-night movies slate “centered on women facing unfathomable circumstances who use their faith to lead them through,” according to Lifetime. The four films on tap will star Chrissy Metz (This Is Us), Alexa PenaVega (Spy Kids), Kat Graham (The Vampire Diaries) and Paula Patton (Precious), respectively.
Faith in the Flames: The Nichole Jolly Story (July 19) is based on the true story of the devastating 2018 fire that ripped through Paradise, California; it stars Metz in the title role of hero nurse Jolly.
The following week (July 26) is PenaVega’s turn in Before Your Father Finds Us, the story of a woman who “must draw on her faith to hide her and her teen daughter from her violent ex-husband.” It’s a very Lifetime scenario.
On August 2, Graham’s adaptation of Terri Blackstock’s Christian suspense book Terri Blackstock’s If I Run premieres. Graham executive produces and stars as Casey Cox, a woman on the run after her best friend is murdered — and she is being framed for it. Casey “must turn to her faith to guide her through the obstacles before her,” Lifetime says.
The next week (August 9) marks the world broadcast debut of Finding Faith, an acquired title following Faith Mitchell (Patton) whose “life is shattered by an unexpected tragedy and must rebuild her life through a journey of rediscovery, hope and purpose,” the logline reads.
“We are always listening to our audience, and we know there has always been a desire for stories that reflect strength, resilience, and faith,” Elaine Frontain Bryant, executive vice president and head of programming, A&E, Lifetime and LMN, told The Hollywood Reporter. “With these four new films, we’re thrilled to step into the faith-based space in a way that feels authentic, powerful, and deeply emotional. These are stories of healing, hope, and perseverance — and we believe they will resonate with anyone who’s ever faced adversity and looked for light in the darkness.”
Faith-based programming has been all the rage since Angel Studios’ Sound of Freedom became an unexpected box office hit. Since then, everyone from Netflix (Testament: The Story of Moses) to Amazon Prime Video (House of David) and Martin Scorsese (The Saints) has entered the space.
Read more about each of the movies below; the descriptions are all directly from Lifetime.
Terri Blackstock’s If I Run
Adapted from best-selling author Terri Blackstock’s book, If I Run follows Casey Cox (Graham), a woman on the run after discovering her best friend Brent has been murdered — and she is being framed for it. Not knowing who to trust, Casey flees, using her intelligence and resourcefulness to stay hidden and the signs of divine guidance to help her in her journey. Meanwhile, Dylan Roberts (Evan Roderick, Spinning Out, Arrow, BH90210), a war-weary veteran and private investigator with PTSD, is hired to track her down. As Dylan digs deeper into the case, he begins to suspect that Casey might actually be innocent and that the real story is far more complex — and dangerous — than it first appeared. James Tupper (Big Little Lies) also stars.
Terri Blackstock’s If I Run is produced by Lighthouse Pictures, in Association with Fezziwig Studios. Dan Angel, Barbara Fisher, Jane Charles and Kat Graham serve as executive producers. Jameson Parker and Gemma Martini serve as executive producers for Lighthouse Pictures. Michael M. Scott directs from a script written by Alison Lea Bingeman and Kelly Fullterton.
