A trip into the woods provided Lauren Caster with the perfect story for a Lifetime movie.
You’re Not Supposed to Be Here is the journey of pregnant lesbian couple Zoe (Chrishell Stause) and Kennedy (Diora Baird), who decide to take a break from their stressful lives and venture out of town for a little time together before their baby is born.
When they arrive at the beautiful cabin located in a remote mountain town, some of the locals don’t seem too enthused to have a same-sex couple among them. But, after a bit, Zoe and Kennedy settle in and just as they let their guard down, they realize that the locals have plans that threaten them, and more importantly, their baby.
“It’s really wild, but the story comes from a few years ago when I went on a camping trip,” explains Caster. “We went to some land owned by the Bureau of Land Management, which is open to anyone. It’s beautiful and free, but some of the people in the towns nearby were not very welcoming. We know people who have gone to those areas who’ve gotten dirty looks, been told to leave, and even had their tires slashed. That sparked the idea in me for this thriller — showing what happens when city people go to these remote areas and the people in the town don’t want them there.”
She then adds, “And my background is that I was I was raised by a lesbian who was artificially inseminated. So that’s a world that I live in and that I know.”
One more aspect of Caster’s personal life sparked another element for her to add to the narrative. “When I was pregnant, I knew what it was like to feel isolated and kind of you’re kind of going crazy worrying about so many things.
Pulling all of this together, Caster says, “So I took the camping, the townspeople, my background, and feeling like an outsider, and weaved all of that together to tell this story.”
She adds, “It’s important to tell stories that reflect my own experiences and also at the same time, show how people deal with real life issues and fears. I think that’s so important, and that inclusivity in storytelling is really a step toward meaningful representation.”
Caster, who’s credited as an associate producer on the film, brought the project to Lifetime via a pitchfest that’s part of the network’s Broader Focus Initiative which is dedicated to supporting and hiring female directors, writers and producers.
“What Lifetime does with this initiative is that they bring up female filmmakers that ultimately don’t have many opportunities in to work on projects and get real on-job training, which is the best training you can get,” says Caster. “You can only learn so much in school. They don’t teach you how to prep in film school. They don’t teach you what to do when you’re actually on set — how to handle everything day-to-day. You get all of that here.”
As for the network choosing her project, Caster says, “It means so much to be that Lifetime picked this idea. I honestly didn’t think they would go for it, but they did and for me, as la little girl who was raised in like a conservative town by a lesbian, to have a movie like this when I was little would have like meant so much to me so I’m glad it’s happening now.”
To bring the film to fruition, Caster, who has written, produced and starred in several short films, worked with writer Erica Lane and director Nicole L. Thompson.
Detailing the collaboration with Lane, Caster says, “They paired me with Erica who’s written other things for Lifetime and she developed the story from my original outline and she really just kept all of my ideas in there while adding more nuance throughout.”
As for her working with Thompson, Caster feels, “She was the perfect person to be with for this. I shadowed her every day, from prep all the way through shooting. I was on set every day and she was just so generous with sharing her information, which I really think is so important.”
As her work on this project has wrapped up, Caster is now on to directing and acting in a feature film that that an expansion of an early short film she made.
Her time on You’re Not Supposed to Be Here, “really just gave me a ton of confidence,” says Caster. “I’m excited to take everything I’ve learned into other projects moving forward.”
As for those skeptical viewers who might feel that the movie is just another version of the ‘women in peril’ troupe, Caster says, “I think it’s like quite the opposite. It’s a really empowering film that also has so many twists and turns that you don’t see coming. But, ultimately, it’s about a couple who end up going through these insane events that end up empowering them, and they come out stronger from the experience. “
Above all though, Caster says, “I’m just really thankful to have been able to make this movie and I’m really excited for everyone to see it.”
‘You’re Not Supposed to Be Here’ airs Saturday, November 4th at 8/7c on Lifetime and will be available for streaming on the Lifetime app the following day.
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