Helen Mirren replaces Bette Midler in David Mamet's Phil Spector biopic

When Bette Midler had to drop out of David Mamet's HBO biopic of former record exec turned convicted murderer Phil Spector, it was due to a herniated disc in her back. No, she wasn't steamrolled on the baseball diamond like in that episode of Seinfeld, although that would be the coolest instance of fantasy turned reality ever. With Al Pacino already set to star as the wild haired defendant, the film wasn't exactly hurting for star power. And yet still it's found a way to get even better.

Deadline confirms that Helen Mirren(The Queen) will replace Midler, in a clear case of trading upwards. No offense to Midler, but she's no Helen Mirren. She'll play Spector's defense attorney, Linda Kenney Baden, in the story chronicling her relationship with Spector while defending him during the 2007 trail(the first of two)

Shooting will begin shortly, with the telepic likely to air sometime next year.