Bette Midler To Play Mae West In HBO Biopic

Bette Midler's New Gig
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 24: Bette Midler as 'Sue Mengers' takes her opening night curtain call in 'I'll Eat You Last: A Chat With Sue Mengers' on Broadway at The Booth Theater on April 24, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 24: Bette Midler as 'Sue Mengers' takes her opening night curtain call in 'I'll Eat You Last: A Chat With Sue Mengers' on Broadway at The Booth Theater on April 24, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic)

Bette Midler is taking on a Hollywood legend as she prepares to to play Mae West in an upcoming HBO biopic.

The film will be based on West's autobiography "Goodness Had Nothing To Do With It."

According to Deadline, the book "chronicles West’s rise into stardom when she takes New York by storm after writing and starring in her scandalous Broadway show 'Sex' and battles authorities over obscenity charges." West eventually moved from stage to screen and rose to super stardom in the 1930s when she became one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood at the time.

The film will not only star Midler, but will be directed by William Friedkin ("The Exorcist") with a script by Harvey Fierstein (who wrote the books for Broadway hits "Kinky Boots" and "Newsies") and produced by Jerry Weintraub, who also executive produced "Behind the Candelabra."

Midler's last film role was in the 2012 film "Parental Guidance" with Billy Crystal, and she can currently be seen in the Los Angeles run of her one-woman Broadway show "I'll Eat You Last" about legendary Hollywood agent Sue Mengers.

Imagine Midler when you take a look at one of West's classic sultry one-liners below:

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