Well, it wasn’t long before Disney Channel star Zendaya Coleman dropped out of Lifetime’s upcoming Aaliyah biopic, but the network have also been speedy in finding a replacement.

Read more below…

Today they announced Alexandra Shipp will be portraying the late singer in the long-awaited film, Aaliyah: Princess of R&B. The 23-year-old actress (who more closely resembles Aaliyah than Zendaya, for what it’s worth) is best known for her role as KT Rush on Nickelodeon’s House of Anubis series, and has also starred in episodes of ABC’s Switched at Birth and MTV’s Awkward.

Zendaya Coleman backed out of the project due to various delays, including difficulties obtaining the rights to Aaliyah’s music. The singer’s family has stated they will block all attempts to include her music in the film. But with a new lead actress, as well as Wendy Williams signing on as executive producer alongside Debra Chase, it looks like the picture is back in motion, so to speak.

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

— Wendy Williams (@WendyWilliams) July 18, 2014

[via THR]

Related:
Aaliyah’s Family Upset Over Upcoming Biopic?
Zendaya Coleman To Star As Aaliyah In Upcoming Biopic
Watch Teyana Taylor Audition For The Role of Aaliyah (Video)