Aaliyah's biopic entitled "Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B" will be out on November 15, but instead of the story of the late singer being a highly-anticipated blockbuster hit, many are speaking out against it including Aaliyah's family.
NYU Local says that the expectations are low for Aaliyah's biopic, which has been done by cable channel Lifetime. The original casting of Zendaya Coleman, for one, has been met with criticism because of her being bi-racial instead of being black. The movie was so criticized that Coleman dropped out after failing to reach out to Aaliyah's family, mentions Madame Noire.
Aaliyah's family has not been in agreement with the creation of the movie from the beginning. One reason NYU Local mentions is that the family allegedly wants a feature film and not a "made-for-TV movie." There was also concern about the portrayal of certain aspects of Aaliyah's life, such as her marriage to R. Kelly when she was only 15. According to The Wrap, producer Wendy Williams shares, "The family is not happy that the movie is being done."
The story of Aaliyah, who died from a plane crash at the age of 22, has struck many and has earned her more fans even after her death. "Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B" wouldn't be the first tribute for the late artist, though. According to Fan Bolt, the TV movie itself is based on "Aaliyah: More Than a Woman" courtesy of Christopher John Farley.
Instead of Coleman, Alexandra Shipp will be featured in the movie that will air on Saturday, November 15 on Lifetime. Aaliyah's parents filed for a lawsuit to prevent the use of the late singer's vocals on the soundtrack of the movie, which left Shipp singing all the songs for the movie, shares ET Online. Before Coleman, singer Keshia Chante has also been linked with the project, notes Global News.
Global News explains that the Lifetime movie will be covering Aaliyah's life from her "Star Search" days until her death along with some crew members aboard a plane in the Bahamas.
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