'Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B' Biopic Airs Tonight On Lifetime: Will Alexandra Shipp Live Up To The Role?

The highly anticipated film, Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B is airing tonight on Lifetime at 8 p.m. EST. Actress Alexandra Shipp has taken the role of Aaliyah in the biopic, after Zendaya Coleman (the original choice) resigned.

MStars News recently reported the movie underwent some controversy earlier this year when it was announced that Coleman would be taking on the role of the R&B singer. After facing some pretty harsh criticism and scrutiny, however, the Disney star backed out of the project, leaving the door open for Shipp to take over the lead role. Coleman explained that it was the production and where the project was heading that made her uncomfortable starring in the film.

"I just felt the project wasn't 100 percent there," the singer explained to MTV News. "I feel production-wise everything just felt a little rushed. And I think because she's someone I admire and I love so much, it can't be done halfway, or not to the standards I think it should be done at, so I just decided not to do it."

We're guessing one of the reasons she decided not to pursue the role is that Aaliyah's music won't be featured in the film. According to Entertainment Weekly, Aaliyah's family has been vocal about their disapproval of the project, and without them on board Lifetime won't be able to use any actual Aaliyah music in the film, leaving the makers to face the challenge of depicting the life of a musician without being able to even touch on the actual music they made. We don't blame Zendaya for not wanting to take part in the film.

Taking on the role of the late R&B sensation comes with great responsibility. Shipp must be ready to face harsh criticism if the film doesn't live up to people's expectations. Check out an exclusive clip from the movie below to get a better idea of what to expect tonight:

Do you think Shipp will do a good job at playing the role, or do you think someone else should have portrayed Aaliyah? Leave your comments below and be sure to watch the film tonight on Lifetime!

Check out more MStars News below:

Aaliyah Biopic 'Aaliyah: Princess of R&B' New Trailer- Alexandra Shipp New Clip Shows Off Dance Moves To Iggy Azalea's "Goddess"

Aaliyah Biopic Trailer: Alexandra Shipp First Look As 'One In A Million Singer' in Lifetime's 'Aaliyah: Princess Of R&B' Clip

Alexandra Shipp Gets Aaliyah Biopic Lead Role, Nickelodeon Star Replaces Zendaya Coleman For Lifetime Film