Second Aaliyah Film Could Hit the Big Screen

This next bit of news makes me wonder if A&E would be interested in a new show called Biopic Wars to go along with their Parking and Storage versions. Meh, maybe not, but I guess that's just my way of trying to find the humor in the endless Aaliyah biopic drama that continues to brew. Sister 2 Sister Magazine reports that there is yet another Aaliyah movie in the works. Now, whether this is actually a legitimate claim remains to be seen, but reportedly the singer's family is involved in the film's production, they've already cast singer B. Simone as the leading lady and it will receive a big-screen release in 2015.

Yes, that would be after the Lifetime movie Aaliyah: Princess of R & B premieres this fall, potentially meaning that while Lifetime airs reruns, another film about Aaliyah's life will simultaneously premiere at the movies. Surprisingly enough this doesn't seem to be of any concern to those behind the feature film. Allegedly, a source familiar with the project said, "I think if we do our due-diligence, people will watch the TV movie and still say, 'I need to see the feature film.'"

Um...OK.

Maybe they sincerely believe that to be the case, but my twisted mind read that as an indirect way of saying the Lifetime version is a guaranteed failure that will not only leave viewers utterly unsatisfied and unfulfilled, but prepared to spend money to view another Aaliyah movie within the following months, not to mention the time that will surely be devoted to dissecting, discussing and analyzing said movie. I suppose a more optimistic translation is that fans of Aaliyah are invested enough in seeing her life brought to the big screen that they'll gladly watch two movies on the same subject, even if the projects are released within months of one another.

It's interesting to note that this film seriously does have nine lives. At several junctures, the idea was squashed altogether, so to see two movies currently in the works simply boggles the mind. The projected release dates make it clear that there's no race to the finish line, but I'll be so relieved when one of these films is finally signed, sealed and delivered.