Mirza Aaqib Beg
Directed by Sharon Lewis, Lifetime’s ‘Death She Wrote’ is a drama movie that revolves around a successful author named Lila who hires Mary as her personal assistant unbeknownst to the fact that the fan is willing to go to any length to take over her life. Before assuming Lila’s identity, Mary manipulates her into believing that she is losing her senses and requires the assistant’s constant care. Once she successfully executes her initial plans, the maniacal fan prepares to get rid of Lila.
Mary tries to follow a similar course of action that the author has laid out for the main character of one of her books. The nail-biting drama coupled with the constant paranoia and fear is good enough to keep viewers on the edge of their seats till the very end. If you are keen to learn more about the film’s origins, filming locations, and cast, you have come to the right place. Here’s everything you need to know.
Death She Wrote Filming Locations
‘Death She Wrote’ is supposedly filmed in Ontario. The production of the Lifetime movie reportedly took place around December 2020 and January 2021. Previously, the province has hosted the production of several Lifetime movies such as ‘Deadly Mom Retreat,’ ‘Murder on Maple Drive,’ ‘Next-Door Nightmare,’ and ‘A Date With Danger.’ Curious to learn more about the specific shooting locations? Allow us to be your guide.
Toronto, Ontario
The production of the Lifetime movie reportedly took place entirely in Toronto and nearby regions. Located on Lake Ontario’s northwestern shore, it is the capital of the province. Toronto is one of the most sought-after film and television production locations in the Great White North. The city shares the nickname “Hollywood North” with Vancouver, the most populous city of British Columbia.
It also annually organizes the Toronto International Film Festival, which attracts about half a million people. Samora Smallwood, who essays the role of Lila in the Sharon Lewis directorial, shared a video from the film’s sets to share her excitement about the project with her followers.
Death She Wrote Cast
Samora Smallwood leads the brilliant cast of the Lifetime movie by playing the role of Lila, the successful author who needs assistance with her work. The actress is best known for her role as Dr. Monica McBride in the television series ‘Good Witch.’ Paula Brancati, whom you may recall watching on ‘Degrassi: The Next Generation,’ essays the role of Mary, the obsessive fan who gets hired as Lila’s assistant.
Will Bowes portrays Derek Olson while Aldrin Bundoc appears as Andrew Jones. The drama film also stars Kaleb Alexander, Emmanuel Kabongo, Claudia Hamilton, Rachael Crawford, Michelle Rambharose, Lanette Ware, and Nigel Shawn Williams in supporting roles.
Is Death She Wrote Based on a True Story?
No, ‘Death She Wrote’ is not based on a true story. The movie is a cautionary tale on the limits to which unhealthy obsession can push people. Although instances of the love of fans getting corrupted to the point that they end up taking the lives of people they have admired for years is rare, it still has happened in the past. The shocking and cowardly murder of the former The Beatles’ frontman John Lennon on the night of December 8, 1980, remains a great example of what an unhealthy obsession with stars and conflicting beliefs with their worldview can lead to.
Mark David Chapman, a religious man and an ardent fan of The Beatles, used to live a peaceful life in Hawaii. Although he was not the kind of man you would expect to go ahead and kill someone, his obsession with religious beliefs and John’s growing popularity that often led to comparisons with Jesus seemed blasphemous for the young man. Furthermore, he was also irked by John Lennon’s view on religion. The singer in his 1971 song “Imagine” famously says, “Imagine there’s no countries. It isn’t hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for. And no religion, too.”
All of this only contributed to Mark’s growing hate for the star, and he eventually ended up killing him in 1980. Speaking about his actions, Chapman passed a statement that outlined another conflict in his worldview with John’s. He said, “He told us to imagine no possessions and there he was, with millions of dollars and yachts and farms and country estates, laughing at people like me who had believed the lies and bought the records and built a big part of their lives around his music.”
It appears that Chapman’s anger at the musician was not only limited to religious beliefs, but he was also quite upset with how John led his life. Mark David Chapman was later sentenced to 20 years to life in prison for his despicable actions. In 2020 when his appeal for parole was denied 11th time, he responded to one of the questions by saying that he deserved the death penalty for what he had done all those decades ago.
Today, although John Lennon may no longer be with his fans, his legacy lives on in his songs. However, having stated the above facts, it is important to reaffirm that the Lifetime movie, despite its portrayal of somewhat similar unhealthy fan obsession, does not revolve around or portray a real-life story. It is just a dramatization of dangers that compulsive preoccupation can pose.
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