Alexandra Shipp Gets Aaliyah Biopic Lead Role, Nickelodeon Star Replaces Zendaya Coleman For Lifetime Film

LifeTime network has picked up actress Alexandra Shipp to replace Disney star Zendaya Coleman for the Aaliyah biopic.

Nearly a month after the 17-year-old dropped the role, the network has announced they planned to continue production with the Nickelodeon star as the lead character. In addition, talk show host Wendy Williams announced July 18 that she will be an executive producer for the T.V. film.

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

June 30, Zendaya announced that she would quit the film after Aaliyah's family publicly say they would not support film and preferred it on the silver screen.

"Because it's someone that I honor and I respect so much, it has to be 128 percent, especially for all her fans, including myself," Zendaya said, where she was up for the Young Stars award. "I didn't feel like it was all the way there, so I didn't want to do that. And when the time comes when it's done right and it's 100 percent, by all means, I will be the first person there ready to go."