Zendaya Coleman Aaliyah - H 2014
AP ImagesLifetime is loading up on R&B biopics.
Shortly after announcing a telepic based on the life of the late Whitney Houston, the cable network has revealed plans for a project on the career of ’90s phenom Aaliyah.
Stepping into the singer’s shoes is Disney Channel fixture Zendaya Coleman. The star of series Shake It Up! recently gained widespread recognition with a stint on Dancing With the Stars.
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Aaliyah, who topped the charts from 1994 to her death at just 22 years old in 2001, has yet to get the biopic treatment. This film, tentatively titled Aaliyah: Princess of R&B, will be based off of Christopher Farley‘s best-selling biography Aaliyah: More Than a Woman.
Coleman brings more than just acting chops to the role. She is also a singer, having released her self-titled debut in 2013. The first single sold more than 1 million copies.
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The film is being produced by Aaliyah Productions Inc., with Howard Braunstein (The Informant!) and Debra Martin Chase (The Princess Diaries) serving as executive producers. Bradley Walsh (Turn the Beat Around) will direct from a script written by Michael Elliot (Brown Sugar).
