Oscar-nominated actress Angela Bassett will make her directorial debut for a new Lifetime Original Movie based on Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown’s tumultuous relationship.
“I have such regard for both Whitney’s and Bobby’s amazing talents and accomplishments; and I feel a responsibility in the telling of their story,” Angela said in a statement. “Their humanity and bond fascinates us all. I’m beyond excited to have this opportunity to go behind the camera and into their world.”
The Lifetime network has histories with both Angela and the Houston family: Angela was nominated for SAG and NAACP awards for her portrayal of Coretta Scott King in 2013’s Lifetime Original Movie Betty & Coretta. The network also aired The Houstons: On Our Own, a 14-episode docuseries, following Whitney’s death in February 2012.
Tentatively titled Whitney Houston, the new movie will chronicle “the headline-making relationship between the iconic singer, actress, producer and model, and singer, songwriter Bobby Brown… Throughout it all, difficulties followed the superstar couple while they dealt with the overwhelming rewards and consequences of the fame and fortune created by Whitney’s meteoric rise that would soon overshadow them both.”
The film is scheduled for release in 2015. There’s no word on who will star as Whitney and Bobby.
