Acclaimed actress Kim Delaney stars as the mother, Mari Gilbert, in “The Long Island Serial Killer: A Mother’s Hunt for Justice.” Inside Edition anchor Deborah Norville is one of the executive producers.
Ten years after multiple women’s bodies were found on a Long Island beach, the murders remain unsolved. Now, an upcoming Lifetime movie features the story of one victim’s mother determined to find out why her daughter never came home.
Acclaimed actress Kim Delaney stars as the mother, Mari Gilbert, in “The Long Island Serial Killer: A Mother’s Hunt for Justice.” Inside Edition anchor Deborah Norville is one of the executive producers.
“Kim, what was it about this role that intrigued you enough that you said, 'Yes, I'll take the role'?" Norville asked Delaney.
“These women were forgotten—if not forgotten, they were dismissed. And I think, in life, no one should be dismissed," Delaney said.
For Delaney, the killings were eerily close to home.
“I'm from Philadelphia. I have a home in South Jersey. And in the storyline when they find those four women, right by Atlantic City, that's not far from my house," Delaney said.
The movie is one of the first films to go into production since the pandemic, and everyone on set is taking great care to keep cast and crew safe, Norville said. Gone are the days when you’d grab food from the snack track. Instead, there’s a food drop zone so there’s no cross contamination.
“Everything's been amazing here," Delaney said. "They have a COVID team on set. From the minute you're on set, you have that mask on. All the crew does—makeup, hair, everybody. Actors have it during rehearsal. You only take it off the actual filming. The minute they call cut, mask goes back on."
Masks are everywhere, including on Director Stan Brooks, whose clear face shield is uniquely special.
"People can see my lips when I talk, and since I'm the director, I do a lot of talking," Brooks said.
The movie is being shot in Canada, where the weather has been, at times, brutal. The crew has recreated the evidence-filled kitchen where Gilbert does her detective work and the beaches where the bodies were found.
In the end, it’s a powerful story of a mother on a mission.
“She was mama bear, you know, she was not taking no for an answer. She was fierce," Delaney said.
The movie is slated to air next winter.
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