Actress Angela Bassett has been signed up by Lifetime to tell the story of Whitney Houston for the small screen. The late singer was no stranger to the movies herself, appearing most notably in THE BODYGUARD alongside Kevin Costner and having sporadic success with films such as THE PREACHER’S WIFE with Denzel Washington. Bassett has form for musical biopics – she played Tina Turner opposite Laurence Fishburne’s Ike in WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT? She also worked with Houston herself on Forest Whitaker’s WAITING TO EXHALE in 1995.
The Sanitsky Co. are producing. They clearly like Bassett as they worked with her on their previous real life drama Betty & Coretta, where she appeared with another musical presence, performer Mary J.Blige. The Houston project will be her directorial debut and focuses on Houston’s turbulent marriage to Bobby Brown, presumably leading up to her accidental death from drowning in 2012. Brown had his own chart success both sides of the pond and I remember him from his cameo as a starstruck doorman in GHOSTBUSTERS II. Currently appearing in American Horror Story, Bassett commented:
“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… Their humanity and bond fascinates us all.”
Whitney Houston is set to be shown in 2015.
Source: Deadline
