Zendaya, best known for starring in the Disney series Shake It Up!, has been cast to play R&B artist Aaliyah in the Lifetime movie Aaliyah: Princess of R&B (the title may change). The movie will shoot this summer and air in the fall.
The Lifetime Original Movie was adapted by Michael Elliot (Brown Sugar) from the bestselling book Aaliyah: More Than a Woman by Christopher Farley. Bradley Walsh directed the film with Aaliyah Productions, Inc. producing and Howard Braunstein and Debra Martin Chase on board as executive producers.
According to the official casting announcement, Zendaya will record four of Aaliyah’s songs to be used in the movie.
The Details [Courtesy of Lifetime]:
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.
-By Rebecca Murray
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