Bassett Preps for Her Directorial Debut!

Following in the footsteps of colleagues such as Laurence Fishburne and Denzel Washington, Oscar-nominated actor Angela Bassett is making the transition to working behind the camera.

The 50-year old actress will bringing her fierce, steely intensity to her new position as director. Bassett has signed on to make her directing debut with the independent film, “United States,” which she and her husband, Courtney B. Vance, will produce under their production company.

According to Eurweb.com, the film is a dramatic comedy about Monk Ellison – a prominent black writer who publishes a false autobiography from the perspective of an uneducated hoodlum. While Ellison’s intention is condemn the glorification of “ghetto” culture, the book is believed to be a true story and put in the running for the National Book Award.

Screenwriter Dwayne Johnson-Cochran adapted the story for “States” from the novel “Erasure” by Percival Everett. The project is the first by Bassett/Vance and is scheduled to begin shooting this summer.