Aaliyah Biopic

[London]

Don't do it B, or at least write an email.

Z is fine. I hope she does good. I remember having my doubts about Lil Mama playing Lisa in the TLC film and she stole the damn show.

Curious who they'll cast as R. & Dame Dash.

[Chris B]

Lil Mama at least made sense in terms of looks. This girl doesn't even look black, although I know she is mixed. This girl should be playing Cassie, not Aaliyah. They're going to have to basically put her in blackface and alter her look to make this work. It's not a natural fit.

[London]

Yeah no, I didn't get her looks wise until they released the first promo of the film and then I saw the likeness that she had with Lisa.

I'm not judging until I see promos and or a trailer. Which we won't get til the end of summer or just before they debut it.

[Mr. Vixen]

I actually think she will be good. She can sing.

I wonder what happened that this got moved to Lifetime?

[cassadine1991]

Aaliyah's family isn't happy

http://www.avclub.com/article/aaliyahs-family-isnt-happy-about-lifetime-biopic-205970

[cassadine1991]

Zendaya is OUT!

http://www.eonline.com/news/555410/zendaya-won-t-play-aaliyah-in-lifetime-television-movie-after-all-find-out-why-the-disney-channel-star-left-the-project

[DramatistDreamer]

It looks like the family is exercising their option and doing what a lot of other families and/or estate holders of an entertainer do when they don't like a bio-pic-- Pull the Music Rights. Sometimes a clever production can work around that issue but I have to wonder in Aaliyah's case:

she was so young when she died that she had barely lived life. If the production doesn't have music rights, what else beside the R. Kelly episode (very early on in her career) are they going to focus on, story-wise?

As for Zendaya there could be a number of factors in her decision. The family of Aaliyah being against it could've been enough to scare her off. I know there was a Marvin Gaye bio-pic that was supposed to get made that was opposed by the Gaye family as well as Berry Gordy and Lenny Kravitz, who'd been reported as being attached to the project, dropped out soon after the family voiced their vehement opposition.

[Eric83]

YAAAASSSSSS

[Cheap21]

agreed

This little girl is not Aaliyah

[ChitHappens]

Sorry, but I didn't see a problem. Aaliyah and her weak voice and dancing? She does not require a great actress at all.

Running before getting hit with tomatoes!

[Cheap21]

[Eric83]

LMAO at this line! People dont play when it comes to Aaliyah. Her mom and brother dont even want the movie to be made. They should just abandon the project.

[chicklitsandfantasies]

I thought I was the only one who thought Aaliyah was overhyped. And I'm about tired of people crediting her for style TLC, Janet Jackson and the girls in the hood were already rocking. I'm also tired of people saying if she was still alive Beyoncé would be nothing. She couldn't hold a handle to Beyoncé back then. She had some catchy songs but innovative she was not and she's no icon.

Also if Zendaya doesn't look black what does she look like? She certainly doesn't look white.

[Eric83]

She looks like one of those racially ambiguous chicks that are offered roles to play blacks so they dont "threaten" or "offend" whites. She is shades lighter than Aaliyah and I personally find it a little disturbing that bi racial women are considered interchangeable with full black women. You'd never see Zendaya playing a white woman. This is the same issue I had with Zoe Saldana being cast as Nina Simone.

[chicklitsandfantasies]

Um what exactly is a "full black" woman?

I had a problem with Zoe as Nina Simone because she looked nothing like her and had to wear dark makeup and prosthetics for that role.