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On Saturday, June 7, at 8pm Eastern / 7pm Central, Lifetime will be airing the “ripped from the headlines” film Kidnapped by a Killer: The Heather Robinson Story – and Deadline has let us known that the cast of the film includes Steve Guttenberg of the Police Academy franchise, Jana Kramer of One Tree Hill, and Rachel Stubington of Shrinking, with Guttenberg taking on the role of a real-life serial killer.

Directed by Lee Gabiana from a script written by Shawn Linden and Pamela Gray, Kidnapped by a Killer: The Heather Robinson Story is based on the true story of Heather Robinson, who was abducted as a baby and raised by the family of a serial killer who was convicted of murdering her mother. Heather (Stubington) grew up in a loving family in Illinois. By the time she was a teen, she had long known that she had been adopted as an infant by her parents.

Steve Guttenberg will play real-life serial killer John Edward Robinson in the Lifetime movie Kidnapped by a Killer: The Heather Robinson Story, Deadline reports.

Rachel Stubington (“Shrinking”) stars as Heather Robinson, who was abducted as a baby and raised by the family of a serial killer who was convicted of murdering her mother. Jana Kramer (“One Tree Hill”) plays an investigator working on the case.

Heather (Stubington) grew up in a loving family in Illinois. By the time she was a teen, she had long known that she had been adopted as an infant by her parents.

But in 2000, the then-15-year-old’s world was shattered when she learned that the man she knew as her uncle, John Robinson (Guttenberg), was a serial killer accused of murdering multiple women in the Kansas City area, including her biological mother, Lisa Stasi. After her uncle’s arrest, Heather learns the shocking truth...

Exclusive: Steve Guttenberg, Jana Kramer, and Rachel Stubington (Shrinking) are set to lead the new Lifetime “ripped from the headlines” film Kidnapped by a Killer: The Heather Robinson Story.

Based on the true story of Robinson, who was abducted as a baby and raised by the family of a serial killer who was convicted of murdering her mother. The movie will premiere on Saturday, June 7, at 8/7 c.

Heather (Stubington) grew up in a loving family in Illinois. By the time she was a teen, she had long known that she had been adopted as an infant by her parents. But in 2000, the then-15-year-old’s world was shattered when she learned that the man she knew as her uncle, John Robinson (Guttenberg), was a serial killer accused of murdering multiple women in the Kansas City area,...

Meryl Streep is celebrating 10 years of The Writers Lab with the 2024 lineup of female and non-binary screenwriters to watch.

Academy Award winner Streep has funded The Writers Lab since 2014, and the program is still the only offering in the world dedicated exclusively to elevating the work of women and non-binary screenwriters over the age of 40. Nicole Kidman has also supported the Lab, which is the only program in the world for mid-career screenwriters.

This year, the program is working with 14 writers across 12 projects, with Labs now operational in the U.S., Canada, U.K., and Europe. The 14 selected women screenwriters will gather in early November in Saugerties, New York to focus on tools and strategies to navigate the ever-shifting landscape of professional opportunities and build sustainable careers.

Each writer will be paired with an established mentor, including returning mentor Susan Cartsonis (“What Women Want”), Lisa Cortés (“Little Richard: I Am Everything...

When Megan Leavey joined the Marines, she was looking for a fresh start. Things at home weren’t going well — she couldn’t keep a job, and her best friend had just died. After joining the Marines, though, she wasn’t faring much better — until she ended up in the K9 unit. There, she met a snarling, growling dog named Rex — and he scared her … a lot. But over time, and throughout their tours in Iraq, they became an inseparable, life-saving duo.

Based on a true story, the 2017 film Megan Leavey is the journey of an unlikely pair and how they managed to stay together against all odds. From director Gabriela Cowperthwaite (Blackfish) — with a screenplay by Pamela Gray (Conviction), Annie Mumolo (Bridesmaids), and Tim Lovestedt (Thunder Force) — the military drama stars Kate Mara, Ramón Rodríguez, and Tom Felton.

Stream it now.

Hoping for a fresh...

"Megan Leavey" boasts a strong female-driven narrative with Kate Mara shining in the eponymous role. The cast includes talented women behind the scenes, such as screenwriters Pamela Gray and Annie Mumolo. The film received decent critical reception, scoring 86% among critics on Rotten Tomatoes and an 82% audience approval.

The cast of the drama Megan Leavey is tasked with the difficult feat of adapting a true story and making sure their characters are faithful to the real people. The 2017 war epic tells the story of the titular Megan Leavey, a young Marine corporal who works alongside her combat dog to save numerous lives during deployment in Iraq. Megan Leavey received decent critical reception upon its release, scoring an 86% among critics on Rotten Tomatoes and an 82% audience approval rating.

Though the cast is primarily populated by men, as that is realistic to the real-life scenario, Megan Leavey is ultimately a female-driven story. Kate...

The Writers Lab, supported by Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman, has revealed its ninth annual batch of participants.

With a devotion to developing scripted content written by women over the age of 40, the Lab, produced with New York Women in Film & Television, is known for its commitment to elevating the work of women screenwriters through mentorship, advocacy and exposure.

The participants of The Writers Lab 2023 are Louisa Kendrick Burton (“The Charge”), Shari Lynette Carpenter (“Translate”), Helena Cho (“The Last Buddha”), Marya Cohn (“Hurricane Season”), Lesley Fera (“Inconceivable”), Brooke Hemphill (“Apotcalypse”), Justina Ireland (“Bleeding Kansas”), Tricia Lee (“Good Chance”), Betsy Nagler (“Priceless”), Lisa Ramirez and Michele Noble (“Fifty”), Sarah Sinclair (“The Stratford Wife”) and Jill Twiss (“Bee”).

“Women over 40 make up 25% of the world population, and women over 50 control $19 billion, yet this demographic remains ignored by Hollywood and streamers. AI won’t change that — only women will,” said co-founder Elizabeth Kaiden.

Exclusive: The Writers Lab has set Shari Albert (Fishtown), Stephanie Bast (FrankenFamily), Kelly Campbell (Pyramid Scheme), Shari Lynette Carpenter (Translate), Nic Cohen (Artemis One), Rebecca Dreyfus (Men), Gwen Goodkin (The Plant), Tamara Maloney & Maeve McQuillan (Darkened Room), Arianna Ortiz, Zuri Rice (Green Hill), Roses Urquhart (This Is My Body) and Robin Shanea Williams (Adrienne Is Always Single) as the participants and projects for its eighth annual lab, supporting women screenwriters over the age of 40.

Oscar winners Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman have renewed their support for The Writers Lab, which will return to its in-person format for script development in 2022. The Lab has re-doubled its efforts to amplify the voices of women writers, calling for greater inclusion of their stories in film and television, in response to growing threats to women’s rights, with genre scripts (particularly comedies) and historical stories about pioneering women being seen most...

Exclusive: Liane Moriarty, the author behind HBO’s Big Little Lies and Hulu’s upcoming Nine Perfect Strangers, is set to have another of her books make it to the small screen.

Heyday Television, a joint venture between Harry Potter and Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood producer David Heyman and NBCUniversal International Studios, has secured the rights to upcoming book Apples Never Fall in a highly competitive situation.

Deadline understands that Heyman won out over a number of other interested parties, unsurprising given the television business’ interest in adapting Moriarty’s stories.

The novel, which will be published worldwide on September 14 by Henry Holt in the U.S. and Penguin Michael Joseph in the UK, centers on the Delaneys, who from the outside appear to be an enviably contented family. Former tennis coaches Joy and Stan are parents to four adult children. But unfortunately, Joy disappears, and her children...

Collaboration with Untamed Stories in UK, Spain’s Filmmarket Hub to expand reach beyond US for first time.

The Writers Lab in the US, the non-profit for female screenwriters over 40 that counts Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman among its supporters, is partnering on an international platform with Untamed Stories in the UK and Spain’s Filmmarket Hub.

The collaboration will expand the reach of The Writers Lab beyond the US for the first time. Elizabeth Kaiden and Nitza Wilon co-founded the lab in 2015 and produce it with New York Women in Film & Television (Nywftv).

Online marketplace Filmarket Hub will...

The Writers Lab, which supports women screenwriters over 40 with mentoring from leading filmmakers, has unveiled its mentors and 12 participants and their projects for a first-time virtual 2020 edition.

The screenwriting program, backed by Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, and Oprah Winfrey and New York Women in Film & Television, has as 2020 mentors producers Anne Carey, Susan Cartsonis, Shruti Ganguly and Mary Jane Skalski. Also helping get scripts across the finish line for 2020 lab participants is Frida Torresblanco, former Focus Features exec Jamie Zelermyer and screenwriters Mara Brock Akil, Pamela Gray, Lisa Jones, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Theresa Rebeck, Robin ...

The Writers Lab, which supports women screenwriters over 40 with mentoring from leading filmmakers, has unveiled its mentors and 12 participants and their projects for a first-time virtual 2020 edition.

The screenwriting program, backed by Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, and Oprah Winfrey and New York Women in Film & Television, has as 2020 mentors producers Anne Carey, Susan Cartsonis, Shruti Ganguly and Mary Jane Skalski. Also helping get scripts across the finish line for 2020 lab participants is Frida Torresblanco, former Focus Features exec Jamie Zelermyer and screenwriters Mara Brock Akil, Pamela Gray, Lisa Jones, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Theresa Rebeck, Robin ...

On Oct. 5, a group of 25 female writers and filmmakers converged at a lakeside retreat two hours outside New York, ready to share their work, as well as stories of unenthusiastic agents and subtle exclusion. Although they hailed from diverse backgrounds, the women shared one characteristic that makes them radioactive by Hollywood standards: They all had eclipsed the 40 threshold.

"We're survivors," said screenwriter Pamela Gray, sipping a glass of white wine. "If you're over 40 and still pursuing a career …" she continued, as her thought trailed off. Everyone seemed to know ...

On Oct. 5, a group of 25 female writers and filmmakers converged at a lakeside retreat two hours outside New York, ready to share their work, as well as stories of unenthusiastic agents and subtle exclusion. Although they hailed from diverse backgrounds, the women shared one characteristic that makes them radioactive by Hollywood standards: They all had eclipsed the 40 threshold.

"We're survivors," said screenwriter Pamela Gray, sipping a glass of white wine. "If you're over 40 and still pursuing a career …" she continued, as her thought trailed off. Everyone seemed to know ...

The Writers Lab, backed by Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman, has unveiled it dozen 2018 participants — all women writers over 40, Variety has learned exclusively.

The program is the only lab devoted exclusively to women writers over 40, with the goal of fighting both ageism and sexism.

The Writers Lab 2018 is produced by Iris and New York Women in Film & Television, in collaboration with the Writers Guild of America East, with support from The Black List, Film Fatales, Relativity Ventures, Stony Brook Southampton+Manhattan & Tribeca Film Institute.

The 12 participants for The Writers Lab 2018 are:

Billie Bates, Spirit Halloween

Catherine Craig, Suspended Belief

Nadia Fares, Diplomatic Corps

Avra Fox-Lerner, Lady Kate

Lynn Esta Goldman, On the Wing

Pippa Hinchley, One White Crow

Teisha Hickman, Sundays and Mondays

Ann Hawker, An Austrian Holiday

Shelagh McLeod, Nexus

Cornelia Ravenal, On the Blade

Gail Segal, Lila Rose

Shelley Thompson, Dawn, Her Dad & the Tractor

The mentors attached to the Lab,...

A host of favorite Huntington Theatre Company artists return for a new stagging of A.R. Gurney's American comedy of manners The Cocktail Hour. Maria Aitken Betrayal, Private Lives, and Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps at the Huntington directs the company that features James Waterston Private Lives and Ah, Wilderness as John, the young playwright that reveals to his familuy members that they are the subject of his newest play. Richard Poe The Taming of the Shrew plays his father Bradley, Tony Award nominee and renowned Gurney interpreter Maureen Anderman Becky Shaw and Third plays John's mother, Ann and Pamela J. Gray Present Laughter and Butley plays Nina, John's sister. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below...