Aaliyah Biopic Set To Debut on Lifetime

The biopic has been officially announced.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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The biopic on the life of the late R&B songstress Aaliyah has finally been cast. According to A&E, Disney Channel actress Zendaya Coleman has been tapped to play the singer in the Lifetime movie which is tenatively titled Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B. The script of the movie is based on Christopher Farley's Aaliyah: More Than A Woman biography.

Aaliyah fans have been very vocal about the casting choice, but Coleman has a pretty respectable track record in her young career. She has already sold 1 million copies of her single "Replay," and is a staple on Dancing With The Stars. Her background in acting, singing and dance should mesh well in bringing the life of R&B's most gifted performers to the small screen once the biopic airs.

Zendaya sent out these tweets after the announcement:

She's been an inspiration and influence in my whole career, her talent still shines brighter then ever, all I wanna do is honor her
Show how much she accomplished in only 22 years....she's beautiful inside and there will never be another Aaliyah, I just hope to share her
beautiful story, and make her proud up in heaven #babygirl #forever #OneInAMillion

[via A+E]

UPDATE: According to TMZ, Aaliyah's family is not happy about the upcoming movie, and they will reportedly block any attempt to use her music in the film. The family supposedly is not against a major studio film about Aaliyah's life, but thinks a TV movie is too small. Stay tuned for more details.

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