Weaver’s next project, TV’s ‘Prayers for Bobby’

Three-time Oscar nominee Sigourney Weaver’s next film project won’t be on the big screen – unless you have a really large TV set.

The “Gorillas in the Mist” and “Aliens” star will take the lead role and co-produce a film for the Lifetime cable network called “Prayers for Bobby.”

Based on Leroy Aarons’ book, “Prayers for Bobby” centers on Mary Griffith, a woman who initially rejects her son’s homosexuality, then becomes an advocate for gay rights after his death.

The devout Presbyterian raises her children in strict accordance with church teachings. When her son Bobby confesses he might be gay, she urges him to pray more and seek out a “cure.” Bobby obeys, but he also spirals into depression and eventually commits suicide.

The film also will chart Griffith’s reaching out to the gay community, where she finds unexpected support.

Weaver’s previous TV work includes the 1977 miniseries “The Best of Families” and 1997’s “Snow White: A Tale of Terror,” for which she earned an Emmy nomination.