Vivica A. Fox Stars in Lifetime Thriller ‘The Wrong Cruise’

Vivica A. Fox is no stranger to a good thriller. With titles like Kill Bill and Independence Day under her belt, it’s no surprise she’s drawn to the genre that has spawned a Lifetime movie franchise for the 53-year-old actress: the Wrong franchise.

The newest addition to the Wrong franchise, which includes films like The Wrong Man, The Wrong Son and The Wrong Daughter, is The Wrong Cruise, set to premiere on Lifetime on Saturday, July 28.

The escapist movie sees Fox star as a single mom whose relationship with her teenage daughter is suffering after the death of her husband. After missing out on many of her daughter’s accomplishments, Fox’s character, Claire Tanner, takes daughter Sky (Sidney Nicole Rogers) on a cruise for some much needed mother-daughter bonding and R&R — made all the better by two handsome men, of course.

As one might imagine, those two would-be charmers end up being the namesake of the franchise — wrong.

“On the cruise, she and I both run into some hot guys — who happen to be the wrong guys,” Fox told PopCulture.com.

During a port excursion, Claire and Sky realize they’ve been hoodwinked by their new companions — and are stranded on foreign ground with two dangerous men on their trail.

The movie packs in all levels of mystery, intrigue and adventure, something that Fox says she and director David DeCoteau have turned into a “well-oiled machine,” considering The Wrong Cruise is their eighth film together.

Acting as the film’s leading role as well as an executive producer, Fox said she enjoyed the hands-on experience with the film.

“It warms my heart that I get to executive produce, call the shots, shape the script and put another notch under my belt as producer,” Fox told PopCulture.com, adding that with the Wrong franchise, Lifetime has given her the chance to think about her future as not only an actress, but a filmmaker as well, something she noted that stars like Drew Barrymore and Sandra Bullock cut their teeth on.

“[Lifetime trusting me to start here] has really given me the opportunity to become a wonderful filmmaker in the future,” Fox said. “That’s how a lot of people started off, from Drew Barrymore to Sandra Bullock, they started [by] doing smaller films. Every time they delivered, production companies trusted them in studios. And that’s the goal.”

Not only is Fox experiencing what she calls a “resurgence” in her career in filmmaking, but she’s seeing it on other platforms as well; her motivational memoir, Every Day I’m Hustling, discusses earning and maintaining success, while her upcoming panel-style talk show offers help and counseling to those who need it.

The Dr. Phil-produced show, Face The Truth, will run on CBS in the fall and feature Fox as the host alongside experts like a lawyer, psychiatrist, judge and motivational life coach.

“We have guests come on from all different walks of life. We have them face the truth,” Fox explained, adding that the goal of the show is to be helpful. “What I love about the show is that we’re offering people help. We don’t just have them come on the show am make a fool out of themselves. We offer them counseling and help and guidance…It’s helping and reaching back and I really like that.”

The actress also tackles empowerment in Every Day I’m Hustling, which she says holds a lot of life lessons.

“I’m a very proud woman in my 50s who’s having a resurgence in my career. I want to let other people know that I understand how hard it is to become successful but also maintaining success, and how to do that gracefully. So I’m sharing some of my secrets of my success,” she said.

“I want to empower, enlighten and encourage others,” she continued, adding that she wants to teach young aspiring actresses the lessons of the business. “[I want] to teach them those lessons, to do those vision boards, to show up with an attitude of gratitude, to be professional.”

All in all, Fox’s mission in the resurgence of her career, which she says is “blossoming so wonderfully,” is to use it as a beacon of wisdom and encouragement.

“If they choose to embrace it and listen to it and be inspired, then I have achieved my goal,” she said.

The Wrong Cruise premieres Saturday, July 28 on Lifetime at 8 p.m. ET. It stars Fox, Rogers, Andres Londono, William McNamara and Adrian Quinta.