'Whitney' Probably Won't Get a Sequel

Lifetime's version of Whitney Houston's life story, Whitney, premieres Saturday night, and to my surprise, it doesn't look like it's going to totally suck. Lifetime and I have trust issues where their biopics are concerned; The Brittany Murphy Story was incredibly painful to watch, and not because I'm still not over the fact that Murphy's gone (although that's definitely a factor). And it's not like The Unauthorized Saved By The Bell Story was award winning, either. So obviously, you'll forgive me if I didn't believe Lifetime was up to the challenge of giving Whitney Houston and her incredible career the movie they deserved. This was only until, of course, I saw the first trailer and fell in love. So now that it's apparent that the movie may not actually be terrible, here's the next question: Is there going to be a Whitney sequel?

At this point, nothing has been confirmed and as far as I can tell, no plans have been made. It would probably be pretty hard to get a sequel off the ground, since Houston's family was adamantly against the making of this movie from the start — and understandably so. I can totally see how Houston's mom (and her daughter, Bobbi Kristina) would be upset that strangers were making a movie about someone who they were so close to and who they lost so tragically. It looks like a good depiction of Houston from the parts of it that have been released, but obviously I'm saying that as someone who has no idea who Houston is outside of her public image.

Certainly, though, there's room for a second movie should anyone actually manage to get it made. No matter how good the Lifetime version is, they can't possibly fit in all 48 years of Houston's life in two hours (including commercials), right? And If Lifetime decides against a second movie, who's to say another network or even a film studio won't decide to make a bigger, flashier version, telling the story through fresh eyes? It'll be hard to get done without the blessing of Houston's family, but not impossible.

If you watch Whitney and find yourself begging for more, never fear — there may not be a sequel in the works right now, but there's a chance Houston's family will come around. Sources close to the Houstons have told TMZ the family is planning a Houston tribute for the big screen, comparing their idea to Michael Jackson's This Is It. There's hope!

Image: Jack Zeman/Lifetime; Getty Images