According to Variety, Angela Bassett has inked to star opposite Laurence Fishburne and Keke Palmer in Lions Gate Films/2929 Entertainment's upcoming pic Akeelah and the Bee.

The picture, which Doug Atchinson is directing from his own script, starts shooting February 6th in Los Angeles.

Bassett will play Wanda, the mother of Palmer's character. Palmer was nominated for a SAG Award Tuesday for her performance in TNT's "The Wool Cap."

The picture reteams Bassett with Fishburne after they starred together in the Tina Turner biopic What's Love Got to Do With It?

"Bee" concerns an 11-year-old from South Los Angeles whose journey to compete in the National Spelling Bee unites her community.