Actress Christina Ricci will reprise her role as Lizzie Borden on a new Lifetime series follow-up to their hit TV movie, Lizzie Borden Took An Ax. The movie was released in January and was a popular hit for the network.
The sequel, which will be a short series, is titled Lizzie Borden: The Fall River Chronicles, and will focus on Borden’s life in the months and years after being acquitted for the murder of her father and stepmother in 1893. The double murder sent Borden to trial, where she was set free.
The movie was based on factual accounts of the murder and the trial; however, as Lifetime states, “the new limited series appears to be veering into pure fiction, as several more people in Borden’s sphere wind up murdered and only a Pinkerton detective, played by Cole Hauser, can hope to finally catch the suspected murderess.”
Other stars in the series include John Heard, who will play Borden’s father’s business partner, and Andrew Howard as William, Borden’s half brother. According to the LA Times, “The six-hour series is written by Greg Small & Rich Blaney, Barbara Nance, Jason Grote and David Simkins. Judith Verno, who also produced the TV movie, will be executive producer. Stephen Kay, who wrote the original movie, will direct the first two episodes.”
Lizzie Borden Took An Ax was released to mediocre reviews, but the movie ultimately drew a large audience, 4.4 million viewers, for Lifetime. It is the second-most viewed telecast behind Flowers in The Attic.
Christina Ricci first found fame playing Wednesday in the Addams Family movie adaptation, and her portrayal of Lizzie Borden is her most recent work.
[photo credit: Felix_Nine]