Lifetime has unveiled the official trailer for its upcoming Ripped from the Headlines thriller Girl in the Cellar, starring Kyla Pratt and Kelcey Mawema. The film premieres Saturday, August 23 at 8/7c and is inspired by true events.
The trailer teases a tense psychological descent as Rebecca (Pratt), a single mother, grows increasingly disturbed by her daughter’s life choices—especially when she discovers Lory (Mawema) is secretly dating someone. In a twisted attempt to “protect” her, Rebecca locks Lory in their basement cellar—the same place she was once held captive by her abusive father.
As Lory fights for survival, the trailer shows neighbors growing suspicious of her absence and Rebecca’s increasingly erratic behavior. With the community on high alert and memories of her own trauma bubbling to the surface, Rebecca becomes the prime suspect in her daughter’s disappearance—while simultaneously unraveling.
Girl in the Cellar explores the devastating impact of generational trauma and the fine line between protection and control. The film is directed by Robert Adetuyi from a script by Eva Gonzalez Szigriszt, and produced by Navid Soofi for PF Maple Productions Inc., in association with Studio TF1 America. Timothy O. Johnson, Meghan Hooper White, and Amelia Burstyn serve as executive producers.
The film joins a growing list of Lifetime’s true-crime inspired dramas centered on stories of women in captivity, including Girl in the Basement, Girl in the Bunker, Girl in the Box, and more.
Pratt returns to the Lifetime family after starring in several holiday titles like The Christmas Pact and Let’s Meet Again on Christmas Eve, while Mawema continues her growing presence on the network following Cruel Instruction and The Long Island Serial Killer: A Mother’s Hunt for Justice.
Watch the official trailer above.