Dead Girl Summer is a 2025 thriller drama from Lifetime, written by Ashley O’Neil and directed by Patricia Frontain. The movie is about Avery, a determined young woman who is looking into why her best friend Jade went missing. As she digs deeper, she finds scary connections to something that happened in the past involving their friend Mia. What starts out as a missing person case quickly turns into a psychological puzzle that reveals dark secrets and trauma that has been buried for a long time. The story is full of twists and turns that will make you feel things. Sydney Hamm and Savoy Bailey bring it to life. A.J. Kelly was in charge of making the movie.
Where Was Dead Girl Summer Filmed?
Dead Girl Summer was filmed entirely in Fayetteville, Arkansas — a city nestled in the Ozark Mountains. Filming took place in April and early May 2025, aligning with Lifetime’s typical 15-18 day production schedule. The team utilized a tight window to capture the movie’s haunting tone with the help of the city’s versatile landscapes.
Fayetteville, Arkansas: The Central Filming Location
A lot of work went into making the movie in Fayetteville. The city was the perfect place for the movie’s complex story because it has both old-world charm and natural beauty. Fayetteville had many places to bring the past and present to life, including streets lined with trees, homes built more than one hundred years ago, lakes nearby, and more than 70 parks.
Northwest Arkansas: Summer Party Scenes
One key scene, a summer lake party central to the story, was shot in Northwest Arkansas, using local residences and lakeside areas. A casting call shared on social media by Actors Casting Agency in April 2025 confirms the filming of a major party sequence, calling for background extras—especially “cute college guys”—for a night shoot. Though the party is set by a lake, the agency confirmed that actors would not enter the water, emphasizing a stylized approach to the scene.
Rockhill Studios: Supporting Indoor Filming
In addition to outdoor shoots, the crew also benefited from the city’s growing media infrastructure. Rockhill Studios, a known production facility in the area, may have been used for select interior shots. The 4,000-square-foot sound stage and supporting facilities make Fayetteville an increasingly attractive destination for independent and television productions.
From sun-drenched suburban scenes to eerie wooded trails, the filmmakers made full use of Fayetteville’s diverse surroundings. The location’s natural contrast between peaceful beauty and hidden tension mirrors the emotional tone of Dead Girl Summer perfectly.
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