Anna Nicole is set to premiere today at 8 p.m. on Lifetime. The movie starring 27-year-old Agnes Bruckner as Anna Nicole Smith is the latest adaptation of the model's life who died at the age of 39 from an overdose of prescription drugs.

To reprise the role of the blonde bombshell, the former The Bold and the Beautiful star, Bruckner allegedly went through extensive hair, make up and prostetics processes.

The movie is directed by Mary Harron and tells the story of Smith from the time where she dropped high school and accepted her first job as a dancer at a topless bar, to the launch of her own hit reality show, the birth of her daughter and the tragic death of her oldest son of an overdose.

"Unable to overcome the devastation over his death, in a tragic twist less than one year later, Anna herself dies of a fatal combination of pills, adding her name to a long list of icons who have succumbed to the temptations of fame," Lifetime states in a preview of the movie.

The film is the second TV-movie about Smith's life after 2007's Anna Nicole Story starring Willa Ford.

Harron said that the idea of Smith's story being the "American dream" is what brought her to the project.

"For Anna, she'd gotten, for a time, everything you could want in a fantasy of publicity and attention and money - celebrity." Harron explained to Entertainment Weekly. "And when it's suddenly pulled away from you, there's this terrible fall. It's the American dream."

Harron wasn't particularly compelled to tell Smith's story originally, but became convinced when looking back on her last few years.

"I remember however many years ago it was, how awful it was - reading about Anna and thinking, 'Oh, she had a baby girl, that's nice.' Because we'd seen her ups and downs and being 300 pounds and then most horrible public dramas. That was what I remember, this very tragic story. I'm amazed by how much interest there is in her now. I wasn't expecting that; I just thought it was a good story."

Harron revealed that a number of actresses came in to audition for the lead part. Bruckner was ultimately chosen because she really "embraced" the part, despite not being a girly girl like Smith.

Harron pointed out that Anna Nicole feels more like a "movie-movie" rather than a TV movie, mostly because of the lighting used as well as the complexity of the story. She noted that Smith was a complicated character to portray because of her drive to succeed - "an agent of her destiny."

Watch the trailer below:

Tags
Anna Nicole Smith, Lifetime