Lifetime planning Natalee Holloway movie

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LOS ANGELES, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- Lifetime Movie Network said it has begun pre-production on "The Natalee Holloway Story," about a U.S. teen who disappeared on a class trip to Aruba.

The movie is based on the book, "Loving Natalee: A Mother's Testament of Hope and Faith," by Beth Twitty, Holloway's mother, and scheduled to air on Lifetime Movie Network next year.

In making the announcement, Tanya Lopez, senior vice president of original movies for Lifetime Networks, said: "To this day, Natalee Holloway's tragic story continues to make headlines around the world. We are pleased to be working closely with Natalee's mother, Beth Twitty, to tell her story sensitively and accurately, to raise awareness of how to keep our children safe at all times."

"At the heart of the mysterious disappearance of Natalee Holloway, is the love story between a mother and her daughter," added Helen Verno, executive vice president of movies and miniseries for Sony Pictures Television. "After Natalee went missing, her mother became a fierce advocate for justice for Natalee, as well as for the education of all young people when they travel internationally."

Holloway's disappearance at age 18 in 2005 on a senior class vacation to Aruba captured international attention and dominated newspaper headlines. The movie will follow her mother's efforts to find out the truth about what happened to her, the network said.