Dascha Polanco and Paige Hurd Each to Star in New “Ripped from the Headlines” Originals for Lifetime

Lifetime has greenlit two new original Ripped from the Headlines movies for 2025 starting off with Dascha Polanco (Orange is the New Black, Poker Face) in the thriller Terror Comes Knocking: The Marcela Borges Story. The terrifying true story follows a woman who must keep her family safe after armed robbers attack them in their suburban home, premiering January 11. The following weekend, based on a true story, Paige Hurd (Power Book II: Ghost) stars in Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story the story survival of abuse advocate Laura Cowan who was tormented, sexually abused, and held captive in a garage before her rescue, debuting on January 18. Both movies debut @ 8PM ET/PT.

Terror Comes Knocking: The Marcela Borges Story

Stars Dascha Polanco

January 11

Based on a true story, Marcela Borges (Polanco) and her growing family’s idyllic weekend quickly turns into every family’s worst nightmare when masked gunmen barge into their Florida suburban home. With gunshots piercing their walls, a newly pregnant Marcela, her husband, and their young son are left with no choice but to comply with their captors’ demands: surrender $200,000 or their lives. But with no means of accessing that sort of money, Marcela faces insurmountable odds to protect her family from their violent captors and must make the life and death decisions to keep her family safe.

Terror Comes Knocking is produced by Cineflix Productions for Lifetime. Jeff Vanderwal executive produces while Felipe Rodriguez directs from a script by Crystal Verge.

Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story

Stars Paige Hurd, Stephen Bishop, Brad James

January 18

Based on a true story, after her husband Shabazz (James) is arrested, Laura (Hurd) finds herself struggling to make ends meet. When a family friend Musa (Bishop) offers to move her and her children into his home temporarily with his family, Laura lets out a sigh of relief, believing this is an act of kindness that will give her time to get back on her feet. Overnight, this blessing turns into a nightmare when Laura and her children endure extensive mental and physical abuse and forced into dehumanizing conditions. Laura is repeatedly sexually assaulted by Musa and eventually held captive with her children in a garage. She later discovers she is not the only one he is tormenting. Despite the dark conditions surrounding her, Laura manages to keep her faith and documents her ordeal until she sneaks a note to the outside world, leading authorities to her eventual rescue.

Girl in the Garage is produced by Poke Prod for Lifetime and executive produced by Sean Dwyer and Elizabeth Cullen. Manu Boyer directs from a script by Avery O. Williams. Laura Cowan serves as co-producer on the movie.