Kim Basinger And The Mermaid Chair

Posted on May 8, 2006

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Oscar-winning actress Kim Basinger is set to star in her first made for TV movie: she will play the lead in The Mermaid Chair, the Lifetime film based Sue Monk Kidd's bestselling novel.

The story revolves around Jessie Sullivan, a married woman who falls in love with a Benedictine monk, and the crisis and self-awakening it ignites. It will premiere on the women's cable network in September.
Basinger won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for her supporting role in "L.A. Confidential." She is currently in theaters with "The Sentinel" opposite Michael Douglas.
"The Mermaid Chair" will be directed by Steven Schachter, who won writing and directing Emmys for the TNT movie "Door to Door," which he wrote with star William H. Macy.

That casting makes sense: she'll do an excellent job so long as the adapted screenplay is done well.

Update: The film is a go and author Sue Monk Kidd was able to visit the set. She shared details of her set visit and a photograph of her with Kim Basinger on her website.