Is ‘Long Bright River’ a True Story? Inside Amanda Seyfried’s New Peacock Series

Amanda Seyfried is the star of the new suspense thriller series Long Bright River, which is based off of Liz Moore’s January 2020 novel of the same name.

Moore admittedly drew from her own upbringing to craft the story, but is it based on her life? Below, TV Insider breaks down whether the novel-turned-show about a dysfunctional family plagued by addiction is actually true.

What is the plot of Long Bright River?

Long Bright River is the story of estranged sisters Michaela “Mickey” (Seyfried) and Kacey (Ashleigh Cummings). The former is a Philadelphia cop and single mother who patrols the streets where her drug-addicted younger sister spends time. When Kacey goes missing at the same time as three women in the area are mysteriously found dead, Mickey takes it upon herself to investigate.

The story navigates between the present day and the sisters’ past, giving insight into their complicated relationship and how they ended up where they are now.

Is Long Bright River a true story?

No, Long Bright River is not a true story, but Moore drew inspiration from her own life when crafting the book that inspired the script.

“Like many families in the United States, mine has been affected by a multi-generational struggle with addiction that continues to this day,” Moore shared. She grew up with a sister who was seven years her junior and told The Guardian, “As a kid, I felt like another parent and that part of my autobiography found its way into this book.”

While she clarified that the parenting/sibling dynamic is where the parallels end, she added, “It made a big impression on me to know early what addiction was. That’s sort of what the sisters represent: Either you mimic what you’ve seen or has been discussed, or you are frightened of dabbling in anything.”

Moore was also inspired by a 2009 photo-essay that she worked on about Kensington, Pennsylvania, a Philadelphia neighborhood which is where the book and show take place. “Following that experience, I found myself returning to the neighborhood again to talk to its residents and learn more,” the author explained. “I began doing community work, running free writing workshops for women at a day shelter in the neighborhood.”

As she summed it up, “I could say that the first seed of the novel was planted in 2009, when I first set foot in Kensington – a tight-knit, vibrant neighborhood in Philadelphia that has become very dear to me and that is often misunderstood and misrepresented in the national media. I could say that the first seed was planted by my own family’s history of addiction, which has spanned many generations and has been a topic of conversation among us since well before I was born. I could say that being a sister inspired Long Bright River, or living in the city of Philadelphia. Really, it’s a mix of all of these.”

How many episodes are there of Long Bright River?

Long Bright River consists of eight episodes, all of which will be streaming on Peacock beginning March 13.

Who is in the Long Bright River cast?

In addition to Seyfried and Cummings, the show also stars Nicholas Pinnock as Truman, Mickey’s former police partner who helps her investigate the murders and Kacey’s disappearance. Callum Vinson plays Mickey’s son Thomas, and John Doman plays Mickey’s grandfather, Gee.

Other cast members include OT The Real as Dock McClatchy, Patch Darragh as Sergeant Kevin Ahearn, Joe Daru as Detective Danjarat, Harriet Sansom Harris at Mrs. Mahon, and Perry Mattfeld as Paula.

Long Bright River, Series Premiere, Thursday, March 13, Peacock