Fans of The Young and the Restless' Lauralee Bell (Christine Blair) have been anxiously awaiting more details about her new films based on V.C. Andrews novels, and Soap Central is happy to report that new information has come. Lifetime just released the trailer for Ruby (below), the first film in the Landry family series in which Bell plays Daphne Dumas.
As Soap Central previously reported, Ruby -- which is set to premiere on Lifetime in 2021 -- will focus on Ruby Landry (Raechelle Banno), who is watched over by her loving Grandmere Catherine as love blooms between her and her high school sweetheart Paul Tate. But lingering thoughts of her mysterious father and her mother's death often creep into Ruby's mind. Dark family secrets begin to reveal themselves when Paul's parents forbid him from seeing Ruby, and she is further devastated when her beloved Grandmere passes away. Forced to flee to New Orleans from the Bayou, Ruby searches for her estranged father Pierre Dumas (Gil Bellows), one of the richest men in the city, as she clings to her memories of Paul and their forbidden love.
Bell will appear in the first two films of the series -- Ruby and Pearl in the Mist -- as Daphne Dumas, the wife of Ruby's estranged father, who isn't thrilled when Ruby shows up and disrupts her perfect life.
"I read the scripts and I was hooked," Bell said back in January of the Landry family movie series. "This is such a wonderful introduction for those who haven't already read the books and I am looking forward to portraying such a manipulative character."
Ruby also stars Karina Banno, Naomi Judd, Crystal Fox, Deborah Cox, Sam Duke, Ty Wood, Serge Houde, Liza Huget, Mason Temple, Ducan Ollerenshaw, Paula Giroday, Marc-Anthony Messiah, Veena Sood, Bob Frazer, Eric Vincent, and Caroline Yonge.
Lifetime previously announced that the Landry family series of films will also include All That Glitters and Hidden Jewel; at this time, it is unclear if Bell will be appearing in those films or if her participation is limited to the first two installments of the series.
While Ruby isn't set to premiere until 2021, Lifetime will treat Andrews' fans to a marathon of her movies this Labor Day weekend, starting Saturday, September 5, at 12PM ET and Sunday, September 6, at 10AM ET.
V.C. Andrews' Landry family movie series is being produced by Reel One Entertainment, and Bell's inclusion in the films serves as a reunion between her and the production company. She previously starred in the company's 2018 film Mistress Hunter and played the lead in 2019's Nightmare Tenant, for which she also served as an executive producer.
Bell has a long history in the soap genre, as her parents, William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell, created The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful. She joined the cast of Y&R as Christine "Cricket" Blair in 1983 and has starred on the CBS drama since that time.
Bell recently won an Emmy for mI promise, a digital series that she wrote, directed, and produced. mI promise tells the story of a 16-year-old girl who makes the critical error of texting and driving. Some of the actress' other projects include the web series Family Dinner and Just Off Rodeo.
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