Exclusive: Leighton Meester Is a Prime Suspect in Netflix's New Crime Thriller

If your best friend went missing and you were accused of their murder, would you be able to prove your innocence? In Netflix’s new crime thriller, “The Weekend Away,” a movie adaptation of Sarah Alderson’s best-selling novel, a woman named Beth (Leighton Meester) finds herself struggling to piece together what really happened after a drunken night out in Croatia with her best friend, Kate (Christina Wolfe). In an attempt to absolve herself from the crime, Beth retraces her steps, discovering painful secrets that threaten to destroy their lifelong friendship and reveal more than she ever wanted to know. See exclusive photos from “The Weekend Away” and find out more about the movie ahead.

What Is “The Weekend Away” About?

Netflix’s “The Weekend Away” is the story of best friends Beth and Kate, who decide to take a weekend trip to Croatia to escape the troubles of their everyday lives, namely Beth’s struggles as a new mother and Kate’s complicated divorce. “Beth is in a stage of transition, in her friendships, career, motherhood and marriage,” Meester says in a press release, adding that she read the book after filming wrapped. “I was excited to try and capture that stage, which I’m navigating myself. The energy, mystery and action was a huge draw, as I love the crime/thriller genre.”

As lifelong best friends, Beth and Kate’s lives are perfectly intertwined, and there’s no one else the other would rather share their secrets with. But their annual weekend away takes a dark turn when Beth, still reeling from the drunken night before, wakes to find Kate missing. With only a fuzzy memory of the previous night’s events to go off of, Beth is tasked with proving her innocence and finding out what really happened to her best friend.

Who Is in “The Weekend Away” Cast?

“The Weekend Away” movie, also written by Alderson and directed by Kim Farrant, will star “Gossip Girl” alum Leighton Meester as Beth, the main character who’s forced to prove her innocence after her best friend goes missing. “Beth is a new mom, and suddenly managing a new image of herself: less freedom, a paused career, and a shift in her values and worldviews,” Meester explains. “She joins her best friend since college, Kate, for a weekend away in Split, Croatia, her first time away from her baby. At first, Beth is unsteady and comes off as insecure and weak, but the search for her missing friend leads her on a mystifying journey that shakes her very foundation and unearths more questions than answers.”

Additional confirmed cast members include “Batwoman” star Christina Wolfe as Kate, Ziad Bakri as Zain, and Luke Norris as Rob.

“The Weekend Away” Release Date

“The Weekend Away” will premiere globally on Netflix on March 3.