One of British Columbia’s most notorious murders is the subject of an upcoming TV series the province is producing.
under the bridge Will tell the story of 14-year-old Reena Virk who was beaten and drowned in 1997 by a group of teenagers in the Gorge Waterway in Saanich, British Columbia
The series is based on the book of the same name by author Rebecca Godfrey, who grew up in Victoria before settling in upstate New York before her death in October.
The story “takes us into the hidden world of seven teenage girls and boys accused of brutal murder,” publisher Simon and Schuster said, adding that the series will be available on streaming service Hulu.
eight episodes under the bridge According to Creative BC, the show is now filming in BC and plans to continue production until April.
Shooting notices posted online show the crew was filming a residential street scene in New Westminster, British Columbia, last week
Retired Saanich Police Detective Staff Sgt. On Wednesday, Chris Horsley told CTV News that the Saanich Police Department consulted about the show.
“It really took off, and it’s a much bigger story than I think anyone expected,” Horsley said. “I think the unusual nature of the crime justifies why they’re still doing it 25 years later. Make it.”
Actors Lily Gladstone, Riley Keough, Chloe Guidry and Archie Panjabi have been cast in the series, entertainment news sites Deadline and Variety reported. Actor Ezra Faroque Khan will play Virk’s father, while Keough will play the book’s author, Variety reported.
Production company Stage 49 Ltd. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Parole Board of Canada extended the parole of one of Virk’s killers in September, nearly 25 years after the murders.
Kerry Sim, formerly known as Kelly Ellard, was granted parole subject to several conditions.
In addition to the condition of refraining from drug and alcohol abuse, the parole board ordered Sim to undergo psychiatric treatment to address her anxiety and other mental health issues.
Sim, 40, was just 15 when she and a group of teenagers swarmed and beat Virk, her trial heard that she and a co-accused later followed the 14-year-old girl to continue beating and drowning her.
“It shocked the community, it shocked the country,” Horsley added. “These landmark cases form the road map for your career. This case was 25 years ago, but it was certainly one of the events in my career.”
The retired detective, who was interviewed extensively for the book that will be the basis for the film adaptation, said he won’t pass judgment on the production until he sees the finished product.
“The authors did a lot of research and worked really hard to make this book an accurate account of what happened,” Horsley said. People who live here – bring back some bad memories.”