Finally! After months of anticipation, delays, and cast shake-ups, Lifetime has released the first look at the network’s upcoming biopic Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B.
Nickelodeon actress Alexandra Shipp stars as the late singer in the debut trailer. The quick clip opens with Shipp, 23, alone in a room as Aaliyah.
She mirrors the R&B performer’s style, showing off her stomach in low-slung pants and a cropped shirt. Shipp then attempts Aaliyah’s dance moves, turning body rolls before she slips on a pair of sunglasses.
Set to premiere on Nov. 15, Lifetime’s Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B has had a dramatic production. Disney star Zendaya Coleman was originally cast to play the celebrated singer, but backed out of the role in July.
“Let me just explain something, the reason why I chose not to do the Aaliyah movie had nothing to do with the haters or people telling me that I couldn’t do it, I wasn’t talented enough, or I wasn’t black enough,” Coleman said at the time, quieting rumors surrounding her exit. “The main reasons were the production value wasn’t there, there were complications with the music rights, and I just felt like it wasn’t being handled delicately considering the situation… Therefore, I felt not really morally okay with moving forward with the project.”
Now recast with Shipp, the TV movie is based on Christopher Farley‘s book Aaliyah: More Than a Woman, which tells the life story of the “Rock the Boat” singer, who died in a plane crash in August 2001 at the age of 22.
Watch the first clip of Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B in the video above.
