Lifetime announced that Disney star Zendaya Coleman will portray the late singer Aaliyah in a biopic, tentatively titled "Aaliyah: Princess of R&B." According to Eurweb.com, the film will be based off the bestseller "Aaliyah: More Than a Woman" by former Time magazine music editor Christopher Farley and will tell the singer's story leading up to her tragic death in a plane crash.
Reportedly the Lifetime project will begin production this summer and will air in the fall.
"Before Beyoncé and before Rihanna, self-proclaimed 'street but sweet' Aaliyah was posed 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," Lifetime writes about the movie. "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."
At the age of 22, Aaliyah and several members of her crew, were killed on Aug. 25, 2001 "when a plane carrying the singer and some of her video crew crashed after takeoff from a Bahamian runway." According to Eurweb, Zendaya, who competed on "Dancing With the Stars," dressed up as the "Try Again" singer for Halloween and will also record four of Aaliyah's song's for the movie.
The project will be helmed by director Bradley Walsh ("Turn the Beat Around") and written by Michael Elliot ("Brown Sugar"). According to US Weekly, this is not the only biopic Lifetime is doing. Whitney Houston is also the subject of a made-for-TV film starring "America's Next Top Model" alum Yaya DaCosta as the lead. Angela Bassett has signed on to direct.
"I Will Always Love You: The Whitney Houston Story" will chronicle "the headline-making relationship between the iconic singer, actress, producer, and model, and singer-songwriter Bobby Brown - from the time they first met at the very height of their celebrity, to their courtship and tumultuous marriage," a press release read, according to US.
