It’s Official!
Disney actress and singer Zendaya has been tapped to play late R&B singer Aaliyah in a new biopic schedule to air this fall on Lifetime. The project is being filmed this summer and will premiere this fall. The film will be based on former Time Magazine music editor Christopher Farley’s bestseller, Aaliyah: More Than a Woman with the film being called, Aaliyah: Princess of R&B.
Here is a brief synopsis of the film according to Indie Wire:
Before Beyoncé and before Rihanna, self-proclaimed “street but sweet” Aaliyah was poised to become a global icon with top-selling albums, a hot movie career and an adoring fan base. But behind the spotlight, Brooklyn-born, Detroit-raised Aaliyah Dana Haughton struggled to succeed in a tough business while staying grounded in the midst of her growing celebrity. The film follows the beautiful and talented performer’s inspirational journey, from her debut on “Star Search” at the age of ten to the challenges she faced during her rise to become the Princess of R&B. On August 25, 2001, at the height of her popularity, her life was tragically cut short when a plane carrying the singer and some of her video crew crashed after takeoff from a Bahamian runway. Although just 22-years-old at the time of her death, Aaliyah continues to lead a legacy as Billboard’s tenth most famous R&B artist of the past 25 years and one of the recording industry’s most successful artists in history.
Zendaya is platinum selling music artist and actress that will appear in several Disney projects including K.C. Undercover and Zapped. She has also appeared on Dancing with the Stars.
This is Lifetimes second musical biopic in the works. The network recently announced plans to produce a Whitney Houston biopic based on her marriage to R&B singer Bobby Brown. The project will be directed by Angela Bassett.
Check out Zendaya in action with her single, “Replay” below:
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Photo Credit: Pintrest.com
