Lifetime pulls in Bill Pullman for the network’s 500th original movie

Lifetime has announced its upcoming slate of “Ripped From The Headlines” thrillers for the fall, and they’ve got a true-crime behemoth lined up for its 500th movie. The network known for turning tales of women in danger into campy, ironic fun has trapped tapped Bill Pullman to play Alex Murdaugh as the lead of Murdaugh Murders: The Movie, which will be the network’s 500th original.

Like so many ‌Lifetime movies, the actual case belies the cheesy good time of the film. Alex Murdaugh was convicted of the double homicide of his wife and son last March. Before his conviction, Murdaugh was a prominent South Carolina lawyer, the son of a 100-year legal dynasty in the state, and the center of a criminal clusterfuck that included murder, embezzlement, hitmen, and fraud. He was one of the most powerful men in South Carolina and is now presumably the focus of an entire genre of podcasts. Already being referred to as South Carolina’s “trial of the century,” the case is the subject of a popular Netflix docuseries, with a second season coming this month because, of course, Netflix already has a documentary about it.

Pullman will play Murdaugh, joining the likes of Rob Lowe and Christina Ricci who also played real-life killers for the network. The aptly titled Murdaugh Murder: The Movie will premiere over two nights, Saturday, October 15, and Sunday, October 15, at 8 p.m.

The latest batch of Ripped From The Headlines originals begins on September 16, with each installment airing on Saturdays at 8 p.m. The line-up includes Bad Romance: The Vicky White Story starring Wendi McLendon-Covey; ‌Would You Kill for Me? The Mary Bailey Story starring Melissa Joan Hart; and the Lifetime debut of Vanderpump Rules main character Ariana Maddix, who will star in ‌Buying Back My Daughter, which has the distinction of having the best title of the batch.

[via Variety]