Wendy Williams will EP 'Aaliyah' film, new lead selected

Carrieheals |

Jul 18, 2014

Talk show host Wendy Williams took to her Twitter account to announce that she is an executive producer for Lifetime’s upcoming Aaliyah biopic, alongside Debra Martin Chase.

Williams also announced that Alexandra Shipp with be staring in the film, replacing teen actress and singer Zendaya, who was originally cast for the role.

The 23-year-old actress is best known for her role on the Nickelodeon series House of Anubis.

I'm excited to exec produce the Aaliyah @lifetimetv movie w/ @DebraMChase. Prod starts later this month and @AlexShipppp will play Aaliyah.

— Wendy Williams (@WendyWilliams) July 18, 2014

The film, currently titled Aaliyah: Princess of R&B, is expected to air on Lifetime this fall.

Follow Carrie Healey on Twitter @CarrieHeals.