After going “Back and Forth,” “Rocking the Boat,” and sending “Four Page Letter” emails, the Lifetime Aaliyah biopic has cast a new lead actress.
Friday morning, Wendy Williams announced on her show that Wendy Williams Productions is joining Debra Martin Chase as an executive producer on the film.
Production begins later this month with Alexandra Shipp playing Aaliyah. Shipp, who just turned 23 this week, is best known for roles in Alvin and the Chipmunks, Awkward, and Ray Donovan.
This news comes just weeks after Disney star Zendaya Coleman backed out of playing the role of Aaliyah. Her casting in the role was not well received, causing many Aaliyah fans to express their frustration on social media. Some argued that Zendaya was not “Black enough,” while others argued that she was not notable enough to play such an important role. Coleman had previously expressed excitement for landing the role and how much of an honor it was to play her idol.
Even more drama popped off after the late singer’s family decided they did not want Lifetime to have the rights to Aaliyah’s music. They went a step further to say they wanted a huge feature film for the singer and an A-list celebrity to play her.
So, is actress Shipp that somebody? We’ll have to stay tuned to see what they have to say about Shipp stepping in to play the role.