{"id":69413,"date":"2014-07-18T12:10:23","date_gmt":"2014-07-18T12:10:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/0de2709a84.nxcli.net\/0-kjasnb\/2014\/07\/18\/alexandra-shipp-aaliyah-biopic-wendy-williams-exec-producer\/"},"modified":"2018-12-18T04:01:18","modified_gmt":"2018-12-18T04:01:18","slug":"alexandra-shipp-aaliyah-biopic-wendy-williams-exec-producer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.blackfilm.com\/read\/alexandra-shipp-aaliyah-biopic-wendy-williams-exec-producer\/","title":{"rendered":"Nickelodeon actress Alexandra Shipp NOW cast in Aaliyah biopic with Wendy Williams onboard as Exec Producer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nickelodeon actress Alexandra Shipp<\/a> NOW cast as Aaliyah for Lifetime biopic with Wendy Williams onboard as Exec Producer<\/strong>Posted by Wilson Morales<\/p>\n

July 18, 2014<\/p>\n

Source: THR<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Alexandra<\/a>The Hollywood Reporter<\/a> has confirmed that Nickelodeon actress Alexandra Shipp<\/strong> has been cast to play singer Aaliyah<\/strong>, replacing Zendaya Coleman<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Not only that, but \u00a0daytime talk show host\u00a0Wendy Williams<\/strong>\u00a0 is onboard as an executive producer. She tweeted the following statement this morning, “I’m excited to exec produce the Aaliyah @<\/s>lifetimetv<\/b><\/a> movie w\/ @<\/s>DebraMChase<\/b><\/a>. Prod starts later this month and @<\/s>AlexShipppp<\/b><\/a> will play Aaliyah.”<\/p>\n

The sites states that Shipp takes over for Disney Channel star Zendaya Coleman, who was cast in the lead role as the R&B singer and exited the project in June. The actress and singer was to record four of the songs that would’ve appeared in the movie.<\/p>\n

\"Zendaya+Coleman+Kids+Choice+Awards+2013+1kB8sCxSlCxl\"<\/a>“We are sad Zendaya will no longer portray Aaliyah. Production is currently on hold,”<\/strong> is what Lifetime issued in a statement back on June 29.<\/p>\n

Aaliyah, who topped the charts from 1994 to her death at just 22 years old in 2001, has yet to get the\u00a0biopic treatment. This film, tentatively titled\u00a0Aaliyah: Princess of R&B<\/em><\/strong>, will be based off of\u00a0Christopher Farley<\/strong>\u2018s best-selling biography\u00a0Aaliyah: More Than a Woman<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The film is being produced by Aaliyah Productions Inc., with\u00a0Howard Braunstein<\/strong>(The Informant!)<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Debra Martin Chase<\/strong>\u00a0(The Princess Diaries<\/em>) serving as executive producers.\u00a0Bradley Walsh<\/strong>\u00a0(Turn the Beat Around<\/em>) will direct from a script written by\u00a0Michael Elliot<\/strong>\u00a0(Brown Sugar<\/em>).<\/p>\n

\"fanpop.com-Aaliyah-aaliyah-20081860-2036-2560\"<\/a>Before Beyonce and before Rihanna, self-proclaimed \u201cstreet but sweet\u201d 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\u2019s inspirational journey, from her debut on \u201cStar Search\u201d 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\u2019s tenth most famous R&B artist of the past 25 years and one of the recording industry\u2019s most successful artists in history.<\/p>\n

Shipp is also schedule to star in\u00a0Drumline: A New Beat<\/a>,<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0the TV movie follow-up to\u00a0Nick Cannon<\/strong>\u2018s 2002 feature film Drumline. Among her TV\u00a0credits include Nickelodeon’s\u00a0House of Anubis<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>as well as episodes of\u00a0<\/strong>Switched at Birth, Awkward<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0Ray Donovan<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n