Singer Zendaya Coleman cast as Aaliyah for Lifetime biopicPosted by Wilson Morales
June 16, 2014
Disney R & B singer Zendaya Coleman has been cast to play Aaliyah in the Lifetime biopic.
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, who starred as Raquel “Rocky” Blue in series Shake It Up! recently did a stint on Dancing With the Stars. Her first single, ‘Replay,’ from her 2013 self titled debut sold more than one million copies.
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).
Before Beyonce 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 will also star in the upcoming Disney Channel series K.C. Undercover and the Disney Channel movie Zapped, which premieres this summer.
Journey to the Past
Zendaya – Replay
