(Eurweb.com) Aaliyah’s family is not happy with the planned Lifetime movie about her life, and has vowed to derail production on the film, or at least block any attempt to use her music, according to TMZ. Disney Channel star Zendaya, 17, has been cast to play the late singer, who died in a 2001 plane crash. Lifetime plans to start filming on “Aaliyah: Princess of R&B” this summer, but not if Aaliyah’s uncle and former manager, Barry Hankerson, has anything to do with it. He tells TMZ the family is upset that no one from the network contacted them about the movie. Hankerson says the family will block any attempt on Lifetime’s part to use any of Aaliyah’s music. He says the family has hired a lawyer and will do everything they can to block release of the flick.
The family is not opposed to a big, theatrical film, but thinks a TV movie is too small for someone as big as Aaliyah. This was the same response Whitney Houston’s family had when Lifetime announced her biopic, to be helmed by Angela Bassett and star Yaya DeCosta.
