(AllHipHop News) The Lifetime network recently announced its plans to turn the life of R&B singer Aaliyah into a TV movie, but the family of the late performer reportedly does not approve of the channel producing a biopic about her.
[ALSO READ: Aaliyah Biopic Headed To Lifetime Network]
TMZ reports Barry Hankerson, Aaliyah’s uncle and owner of her label Blackground Records, is upset Lifetime did not contact the family about the movie. Hankerson also expressed his desire to have a film about his niece be a full theatrical motion picture and not a television production.
Hankerson adds the family will try to block any use of Aaliyah’s music in the film, and they have hired an attorney in order to get the movie shut down completely. Lifetime’s Aaliyah: Princess of R&B was set to feature Disney Channel regular Zendaya Coleman in the starring role.
Since her death in 2001, the presentation of Aaliyah’s likeness has been a contentious topic. On the music end, Drake wanted to release a posthumous album using her vocals, but fans of the One In A Million star rejected the idea when it was reported that Aaliyah’s longtime musical partners Timbaland and Missy Elliott would not be involved in the process.
Drake’s producer Noah “40” Shebib later admitted negative reaction to a Drizzy/Baby Girl LP without Tim and Missy contributed to the project being cancelled.
[ALSO READ: Producer 40 Says Posthumous Aaliyah Album With Drake Not Happening]