Whitney Houston Lifetime movie in the works; Angela Bassett to direct

LOS ANGELES -- A Lifetime Original Movie about late iconic singer Whitney Houston, focusing on her turbulent relationship with Bobby Brown and her "meteoric" rise to stardom, is in the works and Angela Bassett is directing it.

This marks the directorial debut for 55-year-old Bassett, who received her sole Oscar nomination for playing another music icon, Tina Turner, in the 1993 film "What's Love Got to Do With It." Bassett also co-starred with Houston in the 1995 film "Waiting to Exhale." The Lifetime movie "Whitney Houston," which is currently a working title, reunites the actress with executive producer Larry Sanitsky and screenwriter Shem Bitterman, who worked with her on the channel's 2013 film "Betty and Coretta."

Houston, one of the most famous singers in the world, best known for her cover of "I Will Always Love You" in the 1993 film "The Bodyguard," died on Feb. 11, 2012 at age 48. "Whitney Houston" is set to premiere on Lifetime in 2015. The cast hasn't been announced.

The Lifetime film "chronicles the headline-making relationship between the iconic singer, actress, producer and model, and singer, songwriter Bobby Brown -- from the time they first met at the very height of their celebrity, to their courtship and tumultuous marriage. 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," Lifetime said in a statement.

Houston was married to Brown between 1992 and 2007. A year after their wedding, she filed a domestic abuse charge against him. She was granted sole custody of their daughter, Bobbi Kristina, in their divorce. The teen and other members of Houston's family starred in the Lifetime reality show "The Houstons: On Our Own," which premiered in 2012 and aired for one season.

Lifetime quoted Bassett as she saying has "such regard for both Whitney's and Bobby's amazing talents and accomplishments" and feels "a responsibility in the telling of their story."

"Their humanity and bond fascinates us all," she said. "I'm beyond excited to have this opportunity to go behind the camera and into their world."

Houston, who battled substance abuse and personal turmoil, was found dead in a bathtub at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The causes of her death were ruled to be accidental drowning, spurred by cocaine use and a pre-existing heart condition.

Brown had attended Houston's funeral and told OnTheRedCarpet.com in a statement that security prevented him from trying to see Bobbi Kristina there, adding: "In light of the events, I gave a kiss to the casket of my ex-wife and departed as I refused to create a scene."