Lifetime is telling another R&B diva’s life story. Just news after announcing that actress Yaya DeCosta would star as Whitney Houston in a biopic on the signer’s life, the network announced and hugely popular Disney star Zendaya will star as Aaliyah on the Lifetime Original Movie about the life of the actress. At the height of her stardom, Aaliyah died in a plane crash. Zendaya will record four of Aaliyah’s songs for the film, including many of her hit singles. The movie will be based on the bestseller “Aaliyah: More Than a Woman” by former Time Magazine music editor Christopher Farley. “Aaliyah: Princess of R&B” is the working title of the production set to be filmed this summer and premiere in the Fall.
The film follows the singer and actress who made her debut on “Star Search” at ten years old. Only 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.
Zendaya, who has a successful music career of her own, starred on the Disney hit series, “Shake It Up” and was a break out star and runner-up on Season 16 of Dancing with the Stars.
