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With the Aaliyah role finally locked into place for the upcoming Lifetime biopic about the singer, other pivotal roles are being set.
Chattrisse Dolabaille and Izaak Smith have been cast as Aaliyah’s collaborators Missy Elliott and Timbaland, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. The rapper-producers worked closely with the star on her album One in a Million, released in 1996. They also worked with her on her 2001 self-titled release, the same year she died at the age of 22 in a plane crash.
Dolabaille is a newcomer, while Smith previously appeared in Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Mirror Mirror.
The news of Dolabaille and Smith’s casting comes just weeks after Alexandra Shipp was confirmed to replace Disney star Zendaya Coleman in the lead role in the Lifetime biopic, which is titled Aaliyah: Princess of R&B.
The project is set to resume filming this summer and is eyeing a fall premiere date. The script is based on the book Aaliyah: More Than a Woman by Christopher Farley.
While the project has been met with some skepticism from Aaliyah’s family and fans, the film’s executive producer Debra Martin Chase told Billboard that the project will “honor the legacy” of the chart-topping singer.
A version of this story originally appeared on Billboard.com.
Aug. 10, 10:21 a.m.: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Ginuwine as Timbaland in a photo. THR regrets the error.
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