Christina Ricci Enjoyed Swinging An Ax In Lifetime’s Lizzie Borden Movie

Christina Ricci really enjoyed swinging an ax in Lifetime’s upcoming Lizzie Borden flick.

Helmed by veteran television director Nick Gomez (FlashForward, Damages), Lizzie Borden Took an Ax tells the true story of the woman who was famously acquitted for the brutal murder of her father and stepmother back in 1892.

Although other films have tackled Borden’s life in the past, the latest cinematic version of this strange tale is taking a more realistic approach to the subject. Christina Ricci told USA Today that the film gave her an opportunity to explore the woman behind the murder.

“I’m interested in people who are troubled. Their behavior comes from their neuroses. I loved the idea of living inside someone so villainous and trying to express the person everyone can relate to,” Ricci explained during the recent interview.

The actress continued, “[Lizzie Borden] was guilty, but the jury couldn’t see their way to convict her. Very little is known about what went on in the family, but obviously she was a very troubled girl. You don’t kill your parents if you’re happy.”

Christina Ricci also said the Lizzie Bordon Took an Ax cast and crew were a little surprised by her ability to swing the aforementioned weapon while filming the flick. However, her ax-related scenes didn’t come without a few painful complications.

“I’m surprising strong. Everyone was impressed with my ax-swinging skills — until I swung the ax backwards, and it was so big and heavy that I hit myself on the back of my spine. It made quite a horrendous sound. I didn’t know my spine would sound hollow if you hit it with a big chunk of metal,” the Black Snake Moan star explained.

Although Ricci was in pretty good shape prior to filming, she told the Today show that she got “really built” while shooting the project. While most people might think that making a movie about a brutal murder is depressing, Christina said that she had lots of fun on the set.

Check out the actress’ recent appearance on the morning show below.

If you’re curious to see the fruits of Ricci’s cinematic labor, then tune into Lizzie Borden Took an Ax when it debuts on Lifetime later this month. Have a look at the trailer below for a quick preview of what the movie has in store for viewers.

Are you a fan of Christina Ricci? What do you think about the actress tackling the role of Lizzie Borden in Lifetime’s upcoming original movie?