Fans have taken to social media to express outrage over Lifetime's new movie about Gabby Petito's murder.
The movie - The Gabby Petito Story - is based on 22-year-old vlogger whose death in 2021 became widely publicized in news publications and on social media.
Petito, who was an aspiring social media star, went missing in late August 2021 during a cross-country road trip from New York to Oregon with her fiancé Brian Laundrie.
Officials later determined that she was later strangled to death after her body was found in a Wyoming national park.
The Lifetime network greenlit the movie back in May, with Deadline reporting that the movie will "will explore Gabby and her fiancé Brian Laundrie’s complicated relationship and what may have gone wrong during their cross-country trip that resulted in Gabby’s tragic murder."
Thora Birch is at the helm directing the movie, and will also play Gabby’s mom, Nichole Schmidt.
Per The Sun, Petito’s family does not approve of the movie and says that Lifetime "took it upon themselves" to make the film.
With production underway, actors were spotted in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Thursday filming their scenes. After photos were released on social media, people were quick to share their sentiments and condemn the forthcoming film.
Critic Ella Dawson wrote: "Just saw a commercial for a lifetime channel movie about Gabby Petito's murder. That poor girl's body hasn't even been in the ground for a year and there's already a goddamn film. vultures."
Another user tweeted: "I can't believe this even needs to be said but we do NOT need a Gabby Petito murder movie. We don't."
A third commented: "I think doing a tv series or movie on what happened to Gabby Petito at this time is absolutely despicable. Even if it were to be absolutely accurate, which it is not, it’s still wrong. Let family, friends, and people grieve and heal. All is still in process and transition."
A fourth wrote: "I will NOT endorse @lifetimetv, still making a movie about Gabby Petito even though the family and friends disapprove of [it]. Shame on Lifetime TV."
And the criticism continued:
Photos from the film set were released on social media, days after a confession from Laundrie’s notebook was shared publically and stated that Laundrie "ended Petito's life" because he wanted to "take away" her pain.
According to The Independent, Petito's fiancé claimed in the confession note that Petito had been injured after plunging into a creek before her death. He wrote: "I found her breathing heavily gasping my name, she was freezing cold."
The lifetime film is expected to premiere later this year as part of the network's "Stop Violence Against Women" campaign.
