A trailer was released on Sunday for an upcoming Lifetime film “Oscar Pistorius: Blade Runner Killer.” The film tells the story of Paralympian Oscar Pistorius, his relationship with girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp and the shooting on Valentine’s Day in 2013 that led to her death and his conviction for murder.

The synopsis claims the film is from the viewpoint of Steenkamp and her mother, but when the Steenkamp family saw the trailer today – outlining the story of Pistorius murdering their daughter – they were horrified. They knew nothing about the film until Sunday.

Statement by Steenkamp family over ‘Oscar Pistorius: Blade Runner Killer’

A reported by Eye Witness News, the Steenkamp family released a statement via their lawyer Monday afternoon to the South African media to state they do not endorse the film in any way. When June Steenkamp heard that the story is told from the perspective of her and her daughter, she said she was not approached at any time by Lifetime for any form of participation or comment and was not asked to be a part in the making of the film. The statement stressed that she had given producers no assistance with the storyline of the movie and that the family does not endorse the film in any way.

A family still in mourning

As reported by the Independent Online, Tania Koen, the lawyer for the Steenkamp family, said the family is still mourning the loss of Reeva and the news and trailer for the movie had horrified them.

Koen went on to say the claim that June was involved in any way came from a report by Dateline Hollywood and the fact has not been denied by Lifetime. Koen went on to request that Nancy Dubuc, President and CEO of A+E Networks, should issue a public denial of the claims incorrectly made by Dateline Hollywood in order to distance the network from this disreputable statement.

Pistorius is currently in jail for a six-year sentence, but an appeal is to be heard by the Supreme Court in Bloemfontein in November where prosecutors hope to lengthen his sentence to 15 years.

The film “Oscar Pistorius: Blade Runner Killer” stars a South African-born actor Andreas Damm in the role of Pistorius, while Steenkamp is played by German model Toni Garrn.

The movie will premiere on Lifetime on November 11. There is no information as yet as to when the movie will air in South Africa.

South Africa reacts to the trailer

In the meantime, South Africans have reacted on Twitter to the trailer for the movie, with mostly negative, but some more positive comments.

While others said South Africa should have done the film about Pistorius first.
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