News

Lifetime, the movie network long known for its weepy, women-centric and often melodramatic "movies of the week" that feature women in peril as well as for running endless episodes of The Golden Girls, has come a long way, baby. The company's new leadership is working diligently to help the Lifetime brand evolve and prosper and has scored another massive coup, luring Oscar winning A-lister Renee Zellweger into the fold, albeit in an administrative capacity.

The actress will executive produce (but not appear in) the original TV movie, Living Proof. Part-time jazz singer and actor Harry Connick, Jr. is set to star. Zellweger and Connick, Jr. are also working on another project together, the feature film Chilled in Miami.

In the movie, based on a book by NBC medical correspondent Robert Bazell, Connick, Jr. will portray UCLA doc Denny Slamon, who developed Herceptin 2, a breast cancer drug, and fought to keep the drug's test trials going.

The film will be shot in New Orleans and is schedule to air in October, coinciding with the network's 14th annual "Stop Breast Cancer for Life" campaign. Kudos to Zellweger and Connick, Jr. for using their star power to a network that's reinventing itself and for a globally important cause. In other Lifetime news, the network stole pop culture phenom Project Runway away from rival cable network Bravo earlier this year.

—The ARTISTdirect Staff
05.06.08