Two exciting biopics are in the works, with some big names attached. Mo'Nique and Khandi Alexander have joined Queen Latifah's biopic of blues singer Bessie Smith. Latifah will play the lead role in Blue Goose Hollow, while Mo'Nique will portray Ma Rainey and Alexander will play Smith's older sister, Viola, Deadline.com reports.
Meanwhile, Angela Bassett has signed on to direct a television movie about Whitney Houston and her relationship with Bobby Brown for Lifetime. The film, tentatively titled Whitney Houston, will span from the time they first met at the very height of their celebrity, to their courtship and tumultuous marriage. 
Bassett, who co-starred with Houston in the 1995 film Waiting to Exhale, promises to avoid sensationalizing the late pop icon's tragic life. “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,” said Bassett in a press release. “Their humanity and bond fascinates us all. I’m beyond excited to have this opportunity to go behind the camera and into their world.”
Blue Goose Hollow will air on HBO, while Whitney Houston will be have its premiere on Lifetime.
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(Photo:  Derrick Salters/WENN.com)