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Lake Lanier, officially known as Lake Sidney Lanier, is located in North Georgia roughly 60 miles outside of Atlanta, and spans five counties. The Lake boasts over 692 miles of shoreline and was created by the Buford Dam on the Chattahoochee River in 1956. However, the completion of the dam has a dark history that hides beneath its murky waters… When the waters filled the reservoir, they displaced over 250 families and destroyed over 50,000 acres of farmland. They also forced 20 cemeteries to relocate, disturbing many corpses in the process. There are even rumors that not all the cemeteries were actually relocated, leaving countless souls trapped at the bottom of the lake. Lake Lanier has been the subject of several documentaries that all pose the same question: “Is Lake Lanier haunted?”
Written, directed, and executive produced by husband and wife duo,William Eric Bush-AndersonandCindy Estenfanie Kunz-Anderson,Lanieris the first feature movie to be made about the lake and the controversies surrounding its creation.Michael Schillexecutive produces, along withMeliek Gaynor,Kanishk Grover, andDave Rajkumaras producers. Considering an entire town was flooded after the dam was built, the folklore surrounding the creation of the lake has only grown over the years. The lake draws crowds of people each summer, accumulating 11.8 billion visitors annually, which is comparable to the number of tourists who visit Disney World’s Epcot Theme Park every year. The lake has claimed countless lives from drowning or otherrecreational water accidents, as it is a popular spot for swimmers, speedboats, and jet skis. Since the creation of the lake in 1956, it has a reported death toll of at least 700 lives, with countless other non-fatal injuries that required hospitalization. While not included in the top10 American lakes with the highest death tolls, Lake Lanier still holds the title of the most haunted lake in the states, and is the largest lake in the state of Georgia. This article will tell you everything you need to know aboutLanier.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated on October 7.
Watch the ‘Lanier’ Trailer
What Is ‘Lanier’ About?
Set in the modern day,Laniercenters around Jeff Stevenson, a detective who takes his wife and daughter for a weekend getaway at the lake to celebrate his daughter’s upcoming birthday with some family friends. Things quickly take a turn after a suspicious drowning in the lake and Jeff has to team up with local law enforcement. Working undercover with Detective Daniel Wilson, Jeff starts to learn that the folklore about Lake Lanier is more than just rumors and superstitions. He learns from Wilson that the town of Oscarville, Georgia was a thriving black community that was flooded after allegations of therape and murder of a woman named Mae Crowe in 1912.
Because the community of Oscarville was predominantly black, there are more theories that arise as Jeff continues his investigation that the government simply did not even bother to attempt to relocate bodies from the cemeteries before flooding the town. To this day, some people still insist that the lake is haunted, and Jeff is about to find out how much he is willing to believe. As he is questioning his belief in the supernatural aspect, three masked men break into his home one night, taking him and his family hostage. Are the two events somehow connected to the history of the lake?
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Who’s In the Cast of ‘Lanier’?
Playing the role of Detective Jeff Stevenson isAli Ashtigo(1969), along withJamie Lee(Blur Circle) as his wife, Jane Stevenson. Their daughter, Kayla, will be played byRiley Madison Fuller(The Moon and Back). Daniel Williams, the local detective who teams up with Jeff, is played byJarrett Michael Collins(American Soul). His daughter, Tasha, will be played byAva Metallo(Doom Patrol).Chris Johnsonwill be playing a character named Reed Johnson. In the trailer, Johnson’s character appears to be some kind of preacher, rife with knowledge about the sinister history of Oscarville.Shekeb Sekander(I Love a Mama’s Boy) andAngel McCoughtry(Like A Girl) will also join the cast as Roger Gomez and Ava Duke, respectively. In addition to starring in the film, Angel McCoughtry and Ali Ashtigo are also executive producers.
When Does ‘Lanier’ Come Out (And Where Can You Watch It)?
Lanierhad its limited theatrical release on September 9 and September 10, with just three showings total. The two theaters that hosted the premiere are Mode X Studios in Atlanta, GA, and Focal Center Theater in Cummings, GA. But for those of you who couldn’t watch the movie in theaters, no need to fret.Lanierwas given a VOD release through Vimeo on September 16, and is expected to get a digital streaming release on Amazon, Tubi, YouTube Movies, and more sometime in October, just in time for the spooky season. Stay tuned here for updates regarding the streaming release date forLanier, as Halloween is just around the corner!
Watch on Vimeo
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What Can You Watch While You Wait for ‘Lanier’ To Come Out?
There’s a particularly interesting episode of Discovery’sExpedition Xparanormal investigative series titled “Lake of the Dead” that covers the controversial history behind the creation of Lake Lanier. In episode 7 of the first season, creator and hostJosh Gatessends biologistPhil Torresand paranormal researcherJessica Chobotto investigate the rumors surrounding the deaths and ghostly encounters at Lake Lanier that have been reported over the years. The series is available to watch on the Discovery Go app and Max and is also available to rent on Amazon.
Watch on Max
If you prefer to watch something a little less serious and just want some great “You only moved the headstones, you never moved the bodies!” movies likePoltergeist, (which is available to rent on Amazon, Apple TV, Vudu, etc.), you can watch the Australian film,Lake Mungo. Released in 2008, the movie centers around the drowning of a young woman and the supernatural events that take place after her death.
Rent on Amazon
