Barbra Streisand to direct Catherine the Great's biopic

PanARMENIAN.Net - Barbra Streisand is returning to the big screen but she's taking a position behind the lens. The "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" singer is planning to helm Catherine the Great's biopic, her first directing project since 1996's "The Mirror Has Two Faces", AceShowbiz reports.

Based on a 2014 Black List script by Kristina Lauren Anderson, the film will recount the legendary Russian empress' rise to power shortly before her husband Peter III was assassinated. The sensual wife is trapped in an abusive marriage with the heir to the Russian throne. But, when her inept husband proves incapable of ruling, she utilizes her intelligence, fortitude, and passion to rise to power, becoming Catherine the Great.

The Thursday, December 3 announcement of the pic did not reveal any of the cast or tell whether Streisand will star in the movie. Gil Netter ("Water for Elephants" and "Life of Pi") is on board to produce.

Back in July, it was reported that Angelina Jolie's production company Jolie Pas had acquired the rights to Catherine the Great's biopic. According to a statement from Weidenfeld & Nicolson, the film would be based on Simon Sebag Montefiore's book, "Catherine the Great & Potemkin: The Imperial Love Affair", which was published in 2000.