Lifetime movie on Murdaugh family murder saga premieres in October

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — A new film chronicling the downfall of a former Lowcountry attorney convicted of the murders of his wife and son is coming to Lifetime this October.

Lifetime revealed its 500th original movie – Murdaugh Murders: The Movie – in a social media post on Wednesday, which included several screenshots from the film.

Your first look at Lifetime’s 500th original movie #MurdaughMurders is HERE! Mark your calendars for the two-night event on October 14th and 15th at 8/7c

The four-hour special will air in two parts – on Saturday, Oct. 14 and Sunday, Oct. 15 – and will star award-winning actor Bill Pullman as Alex Murdaugh; Lauren Robek as Maggie Murdaugh; and Curtis Tweedie as Paul Murdaugh.

The following is a description provided by A&E Networks:

"Murdaugh Murders: The Movie follows the twisted true story of Alex Murdaugh played by award-winning actor Bill Pullman (The Sinner, Halston), who was found guilty in the double homicide of his wife, Maggie and his son, Paul. For over 100 years, the wealthy and powerful Murdaugh Family were a local dynasty in the South Carolina low country, where they oversaw the prosecution of all criminal cases in the state's 14th circuit district. But behind all the power, black ties, and fancy dresses Alex had many secrets Even with all of Alex’s influence, he couldn’t prevent The Murdaugh Family’s legacy from being tarnished after Paul was involved in a boating accident that left a young girl dead. While Maggie was consumed with what was happening with Paul, Alex was hiding his addiction to opioids and stealing insurance settlements from his own clients to fund his habit and the family’s lavish lifestyle. Then in June 2021, Maggie and Paul were found murdered and eyes began to turn to Alex. The bizarre story continued when Alex was nearly shot in the head and his indiscretions and lies began to surface, leading to the eventual unraveling of Alex Murdaugh’s once charmed life.

Murdaugh Murders: The Movie also stars Lauren Robek (Firefly Lane, Yellowjackets) as Maggie Murdaugh, Curtis Tweedie (I Zombie, Supernatural) as Paul Murdaugh and Donovan Stinson (UnReal, So Help Me Todd) as Detective Hume who is investigating the murders.

Murdaugh Murders: The Movie is produced by Murdaugh Productions Inc. in association with Johnson Production Group. Stacy Mandelberg, Timothy O. Johnson, Jason Ryan, Oliver DeCaigny and Michael Vickerman Executive Produce, while Navid Soofi produces. Greg Beeman directs from the script written by Michael Vickerman."

New Developments in Murdaugh Saga

On March 2, 2023, a jury found Alex Murdaugh guilty for the murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul following a nearly six-week trial at the Colleton County Courthouse. The next day, Judge Clifton Newman sentenced the disgraced attorney to two terms of life in prison.

Now, six months later, Murdaugh's lawyers are calling for a new trial.

Attorneys Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian say they have sworn affidavits from multiple jurors who convicted their client of the June 2021 murders that claim Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill attempted to push the jurors in the direction of finding Murdaugh guilty, thus depriving him of a fair trial.

“As soon as the verdict was rendered, we had gotten some indication from folks in the courtroom that something untoward had happened in the jury room,” said Griffin.

News 4 exclusive legal expert and former South Carolina Attorney General Charlie Condon sat down with investigative reporter Anne Emerson and executive producer Drew Tripp on Wednesday to discuss the bombshell accusations.

Click here to listen to episode 40 of the Murrow award-winning podcast, The Murdaugh Murders, Money & Mystery.