Cher to Star in TV Movie About Flint Water Crisis

Cher, who a year ago lashed out on social media and said Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder should be jailed and face a firing squad over his handling of the Flint water crisis, will now star in a cable television movie about the man-made catastrophe. Flint residents were exposed to high levels of lead, which may cause irreversible brain damage in children, in a 2014 cost-saving move while a state-appointed emergency manager was running the financially struggling city. Flint residents still don’t have full confidence in water quality.

Cher will star in a key role as a Flint resident as well as executive produce the fact-based drama, “Flint.” She will be joined by co-producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who are the producers of NBC’s live musical events like “Hairspray Live!” and newswoman Katie Couric.

Oscar-nominated director Bruce Beresford will direct the original movie. Production is expected to begin this spring.

Deadline confirmed the Flint movie has been on a fast track since Lifetime bought the rights to it last April. It will have a political slant, shedding light on what will be framed as a “toxic crime,” but it will also chronicle some of the human drama of the crisis. Cher will play a Flint resident whose family has been seriously affected by the lead poisoning.

• See Also: Cher Calls for Firing Squad for Governor Over Flint Water

The Oscar-winning “Moonstruck” actress went on a Twitter rant against Snyder hours after he declared a state of emergency in Flint in January 2016. In one tweet, Cher called the governor a “murderer” and included the hashtag #JAILFORRICK. In another, she railed against power, greed and incompetent politicians, declaring in a hashtag #FIRINGSQUADWORKSFORME.

Cher has continued to use social media to raise awareness of the lead-tainted water and other problems in Flint. She also donated 180,000 bottles of water to Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, saying in a statement at the time:

“This is a tragedy of staggering proportion and shocking that it’s happening in the middle of the country.”

“Flint” will be only Cher’s second TV movie — the first was in the 1996 HBO film, “If These Walls Could Talk,” the story of three women’s experiences with abortion. The superstar’s credits with a social justice theme also include her Oscar-nominated co-starring role with Meryl Streep in “Silkwood.”

Photo by Renan Katayama via Flickr Commons