Sartaj Singh
With Manu Boyer at the helm, ‘Buried Alive and Survived’ narrates a story inspired by true events revolving around a fierce mother who fights for her life when her ex-husband abducts her with malicious intent. After being released early from prison, Alicia’s ex-husband, Victor, kidnaps her. She played a part in his imprisonment, and Victor is dead set on getting revenge. Ignoring her pleas for mercy, Victor binds her before burying her alive in a shallow grave. Alicia is able to break free of her bonds and emerges from the ground after a Herculean struggle. Her immediate instinct is to protect her son, Malcolm, before Victor can reach him. The Lifetime thriller accentuates its powerful performances and dark themes with atmospheric forested backdrops and desolate urban environments, seamlessly blending setting and story.
Where Was Buried Alive and Survived Filmed?
Filming for ‘Buried Alive and Survived’ took place in and around Hiram, Georgia. Principal photography began in mid-June 2024 and was wrapped up by July 3, 2024. Shooting the scene of Alicia being buried alive actually terrified actress Eva Marcille. Confident about acting out the scene, she entered the coffin. The panic started to set in when the wooden box was shut and Boyer provided some alarming prompts. “They started to drill it, and then they’re throwing dirt on top of it,” revealed Marcille in an interview. “And my director, Manu, who is French, is screaming, ‘You’re dying, you’re dying, you will never see your son.’ And I literally freak out… It was so real, it was terrifying.”
Hiram, Georgia
Set against the quiet yet foreboding landscapes of Hiram, Georgia, ‘Buried Alive and Survived’ utilizes the area’s forested terrain to intensify its chilling narrative. Hiram, located in Paulding County, is a place where the contrast between serene woodland surroundings and the harrowing tension of the plot gives the film a distinctive atmosphere. Much of the filming was carried out at the Atlanta (ATL) Film Studios located on 110 Thompson Road. The production team appeared to set up shop in one of the studio’s two soundstages, which helped craft the controlled environments necessary for indoor scenes and the more complex high-stakes action sequences.
Within the soundstage’s massive 20,000-square-foot area, the crew was able to create multiple environments required for the film’s recurring indoor backdrops. Additionally, the studio’s standing sets also proved extremely useful to the team, as they provided a quick transition to new settings with minimum production time. These standing sets at ATL Film Studios include a school, hospital, apartment, corridor, restaurant, and office.
The scenes where Victor drives through dense woods after abducting Alicia were shot along the natural forest paths around Hiram, providing an eerie sense of isolation. Considered a suburb of Atlanta, Hiram was established in 1891 and is known for its picturesque natural backdrops and winding forest roads. A mesmerizing route highlighting the city’s scenery is the Silver Comet Trail, which runs through it and stretches for about 20 miles from east to west. Other projects shot in Hiram include ‘Footloose,’ ‘Office Christmas Party,’ and ‘Coins for Christmas.’
Buried Alive and Survived Cast
Eva Marcille stars as Alicia in ‘Buried Alive and Survived.’ The LA-born actress has made a name for herself with her recurring role as Marilyn “Madam” DeVille in BET+’s ‘All the Queen’s Men.’ Her performance as Marilyn can also be seen in Tyler Perry’s ‘Sistas.’ Marcille’s other credits include ‘A New Diva’s Christmas Carol,’ ‘A Christmas Fumble,’ BET+’s ‘Hello,’ and ‘Adventures in Christmasing.’
Tyler Lepley essays Victor in the Lifetime movie. He first stepped into the limelight with his portrayal of Benny Young in Tyler Perry’s ‘The Haves and the Have Nots.’ He has since kept his upward trajectory going with significant parts in Starz’s ‘P-Valley’ as Diamond and Prime Video’s ‘Harlem’ as Ian Walker. You may have also seen him in ‘Christmas Ringer,’ ‘Tales,’ and ‘Three’s Complicated.’ Other cast members of ‘Buried Alive and Survived’ include Cocoa Brown as Jo, Christie Leverette as Kamlyn, Mikhail Keize as Darien, Jaeden White as Malcolm, Tim Plum as Good Ole Boy, and Lamar K. Cheston as Stevie G.
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