American Beauty actress Thora Birch has signed on to make her feature film directorial debut on, and co-star in, the upcoming biopic, The Gabby Petito Story. The movie has been green lit by Lifetime, as part of its Stop Violence Against Women public affairs initiative, Deadline is reporting.
The film will explore Petito’s complicated relationship with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, and what may have gone wrong during their cross-country trip that resulted in her murder, Lifetime said in a statement. The biopic will also showcase the warning signs that her life was in danger, the ensuing search for her, the eventual discovery of her murder and what led to his suicide, two days after her body was recovered.
The Gabby Petito Story is set to shoot in Utah this summer. It’s scheduled to premiere on Lifetime later this year, in memory of her disappearance and subsequent death last August, and the discovery of her body the following month.
After Petito’s parents reported her missing in September, a nationwide search for her was launched.
The 22-year-old travel blogger and her fiancé set out on a four-month trip in Agusut in a Ford van outfitted for cross-country travel, and documented their journey on social media. But her mother, Nichole Schmidt, reported her daughter missing in September after not hearing from her since the previous month.
Non-stop coverage on the news inspired the public to dissect Petito’s social media posts for clues about what happened to her during her trip with Laundrie. The country’s intense interest in the case led to the eventual discovery of her body in Wyoming.
Laundrie was named a person of interest after he returned home to Florida in September, earlier than expected, without his fiancée. Later that month, Petito’s body was found in Wyoming near where the couple had been spotted earlier.
Authorities determined she died of blunt-force injuries and strangulation.
After Petito’s remains were discovered, Laundrie also went missing after police issued a warrant for his arrest. He was found dead in a Florida park from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The FBI found statements in his notebook taking responsibility for her death.
To coincide with the premiere of The Gabby Petito Story, Lifetime will also create a new PSA that will help drive the important work of the network’s coalition of partners to provide resources on domestic violence for women.
As a leader in telling powerful stories of women and providing a platform to shine a light on unheard voices, Lifetime is in development on several movies surrounding violence against women who may not have had the same media attention as Petito.
These include the stories of Carlesha Freeland-Gaither, Adriane Fields and Beatrice Weston, among others, and each project in various stages of development.
The Gabby Petito Story is being produced for Lifetime by Hybrid. The film was written by Gregory Small and Richard Blaney (Gone Mom, Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret). Birch, who’s set to play Schmidt in the upcoming biopic, has joined the network’s growing roster of first-time directors through their Broader Focus program.
The Gabby Petito Story marks Birch’s return to Lifetime, after she starred in the 2003 biopic, Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story. She earned an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for her portrayal of the titular character in the movie. She also starred in the cable network’s 2010 film, The Pregnancy Pact.