Brec Bassinger & Donna Mills To Lead Cast Of Lifetime’s ‘V.C. Andrews Dawn Cutler Series’

Lifetime has set the cast for V.C. Andrews Dawn Cutler Series, the first of a series of movies based Andrews’ popular Cutler books.

Rafael Ortega/Courtesy of Lifetime

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Brec Bassinger (Stargirl, Bella and the Bulldogs) stars in the title role of Dawn Longchamp, alongside Emmy winner Donna Mills (Nope, General Hospital) as Lillian Cutler. Also set to star are Emmy nominee Fran Drescher (The Nanny),

Joey McIntyre (New Kids on the Block) and Jesse Metcalfe (Desperate Housewives).

Dawn follows the story of Dawn Longchamp (Bassinger), who after growing up in humble surroundings with a very hardworking and loving family suddenly has everything she loves ripped away from her when she is thrust into a new family whose dark and twisted secrets change the course of her life forever. As Dawn struggles to fit in, her wicked grandmother Lillian Cutler (Mills) rules her life with an iron fist and inflicts cruel punishments when Dawn does not follow her strict orders. When Dawn finds herself entrenched in the mysteries surrounding the family, it becomes clear that a dark and unescapable curse looms over the Cutlers.

McIntyre portrays Dawn’s infamous singing teacher and Broadway star, Michael Sutton. Drescher plays Agnes Morris, the out of work actress and overly made up drama queen who is the house mother at the performing arts school where Dawn resides. Metcalfe is Ormand Longchamp, Dawn’s adoptive father, while Khobe Clarke (Yellowjackets) portrays Dawn’s adoptive brother Jimmy Longchamp. Cast also includes Jason Cermak as Dawn’s father Randolph Cutler; Miranda Frigon as Dawn’s mother, Laura Jean Cutler; as well as Elyse Maloway (Super Monsters, The Magicians) and Dane Schioler (Prom Pact) as Dawn’s siblings Clara Jean and Philip Cutler. Additionally, Corey Woods plays Dawn’s boarding school roommate, Tricia; and Helena Marie plays Sally Longchamp, Dawn’s adoptive mother.

Earlier this year, A+E acquired the rights to Andrews’ library of the bestselling novels for screen adaptation. The first book in the series, Dawn, which tells the dark and twisted history of the Cutler, Longchamp and Booth families, is followed by Secrets of the Morning, Twilight’s Child, and Midnight Whispers. The final novel of the series, Darkest Hour, is currently in development.

The book series was originally started by V.C. Andrews and completed by ghostwriter Andrew Neiderman after her death.

The V.C. Andrews Dawn Cutler Series is produced by VC Secrets Productions with Merideth Finn, Michele Weiss, Timothy Johnson, and Stacy Mandelberg serving as executive producers and Navid Soofi serving as producer. Linda-Lisa Hayter is set to direct the first two movies Dawn and Secrets of the Morning, and Jacquie Gould will direct Twilights Child and Midnight Whispers. Georgy Small and Richard Blaney serve as screenwriters for the first three movies and Allison Lea Bingeman serves as screenwriter for the fourth movie Midnight Whispers. The book series was originally started by V.C. Andrews and completed by ghostwriter Andrew Neiderman after her death. Finn and Weiss also executive produced Lifetime’s 2014 Flowers in the Attic and Petals on the Wind.

Bassinger is repped by Paradigm, Work Management and Industry Entertainment.

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