Lifetime TV movie 'Roommate Regret' filmed in St. Pete makes its debut

A made-for-TV movie filmed almost entirely in downtown St. Petersburg is scheduled to make its debut Thursday night on the Lifetime Movie Network.

The movie, according to a statement from Visit St.Pete/Clearwater, is called "Roommate Regret." “Things get dangerous for a young, first-time homeowner after she rents her spare bedroom to a charming, British music producer who will stop at nothing to get what he wants,” reads the promo for the movie. 

Local spots viewers will notice include the Main Event Boxing Gym, Johnny's Restaurant and Pizza, Parkshore Grill, Three Birds Tavern, Clear Track Studios, Green Bench Brewing, St. Petersburg Police Department and Straub Park.

“It’s rewarding to work on projects that highlight our amazing community and capture the essence of what makes this city such a sought-after destination for visitors and filmmakers looking for that special and unique element that will bring the storyline to life,” St. Pete/Clearwater Film Commissioner Lisa Dozois says in the statement. 

Visit St.Pete/Clearwater officials say that beyond the cameras, a 33-person production crew led to more than 200 booked hotel rooms in the area, with additional direct spending in the destination.

"Roommate Regret," originally titled "Bad Tenant," is one of some 15 movies filmed in Pinellas County in the past five years. The trend comes after the Florida Legislature, in 2014, ended a program that provided incentives to production companies to film TV shows and movies in the state. "Spring Break Nightmare," to cite one example, a movie about a surfer who gets kidnapped while in Pinellas County for a surfing competition, was filmed in early 2022 in St. Petersburg, Gulfport and the beach communities of Indian Rocks Beach, Madeira Beach and St. Pete Beach. 

The cast of "Roommate Regret," the release states, includes social media influencer Maryana Dvorska, AEW professional wrestler Laura Dennis (known as "The Bunny"), Veronica Long, Josh Cole, Lee Perkins and film writer Sam Benjamin ("Peaky Blinders," "The Pay Day").