Megan Hilty, Jessie Mueller to star in Lifetime's 'Patsy & Loretta'

March 15 (UPI) -- Singer-actresses Megan Hilty and Jesse Mueller have signed on to star in a Lifetime movie as country music icons Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn.

Patsy & Loretta will be Neil Meron's first television project since the death of his producing partner Craig Zadan in August.

Meron will produce the TV movie alongside Lynn's daughter Patsy Lynn Russell and Cline's daughter Julie Fudge. Meron and Hilty previously worked together on the small-screen musical drama Smash.

Nashville creator Callie Khouri is on-board to direct the Patsy & Loretta, which is expected to premiere later this year.

"When they first met, Patsy was already one of the biggest stars in country music while Loretta was just a coal miner's daughter, starting off with little to her name but a $17 guitar. Instead of seeing Loretta as competition, Patsy took Loretta under her wings to help her make it in Nashville. Soon, they became close friends, touring together, bonding over their husband troubles and commiserating on being females in the male-dominated music business," said a press release from the cable network.

Cline died in a plane crash in 1963. She was 30.