Catherine Keener and Ellen Page ("Hard Candy") are set to headline the courtroom thriller "The Basement" based on a true story reports Production Weekly.

The story follows Gertrude Baniszewski (Keener), a seemingly ordinary housewife and mother of seven in the 1960's who imprisons beautiful 16-year-old Sylvia Likens (Page) in her Indiana home.

Based largely on actual court transcripts, the film will cover the trial over the girl's death and the uncovering of shockingly savage and sadistic acts that were performed on her - countless beatings, brandings, starvation and torture done over the course of many weeks right up until her death from all her injuries.

Even more shocking was the acts were done not just by members of the family but numerous neighbourhood children who visited the house. Shooting begins in a few weeks in Los Angeles under the helm of Tommy O'Haver.