'Grey's Anatomy' Meets Needlework: Katherine Heigl to Star in HBO Movie 'The Knitting Circle'

It's looks like former "Grey's Anatomy" star Katherine Heigl will be returning to the small screen...but not to "Grey's." Instead, Heigl will be returning to TV to star in the HBO movie "The Knitting Circle," which she is also producing.

The telefilm is based off the best-selling book of the same title, written by Ann Hood. In the movie, Heigl will play the lead role of a woman who joins a knitting circle to help her cope with the death of her young daughter. Heavy stuff.

Heigl has become something of a rom-com phenom lately, appearing in "Knocked Up," "27 Dresses," "The Ugly Truth," "Killers," and "Life As We Know It," all in a span of about three years. They've all been pretty light fare, so it will be interesting to see Heigl flex her drama muscle and give us some of that ol' Isobel Stevens magic that we saw in the early days of "Grey's Anatomy."

Heigl is co-producing the TV movie with her mother, Nancy Heigl, which is kind of a touching move considering the subject matter. The film should have a pretty great script, as the book was a bestseller and it has been adapted by Craig Wright, who wrote for two excellent shows: "Six Feet Under" and "Lost."

Of course, Heigl will be back in big-screen movies soon...she's set to appear in the holiday film "New Year's Eve," which comes out later this year.