As you already know, Whitney Houston tragically passed away over the weekend, in a shocking death that brought in condolences from around the world. The chart topping singer had spent most of the last few years more on the tabloid pages than on the pop charts, but was poised for something of a comeback in the remake of the '70s musical "Sparkle," which is still set to hit theaters later this summer. And if all had gone according to plan, she would have also returned to one of the her biggest and most beloved screen roles, and while the details are still being worked out, it seems it will go on without her.
Early last year, word began bubbling up that a sequel to the 1995 smash hit "Waiting To Exhale" was in the works. While author Terry McMillan had boldly proclaimed the movie would be in theaters this year (not happening), the project did gain some steam when Angela Basset revealed the principal cast was coming back with Forest Whitaker back in the director's chair and writing the script. And while it remains to be seen how they'll work around the loss of Whitney, the movie is still happening.
"I don’t think she would want it to," Elizabeth Gabler, president of Fox 2000 Pictures, told Vulture when they asked if Houston's death would kibosh the film, "It’s almost in her honor that we think to soldier on." And while it's still way too early to talk about who might fill in Houston's shoes (and voice — she contributed two songs to the hit soundtrack for "Waiting For Exhale"), there is still progress to be made before the the movie can go in front of cameras. Based on McMillan's book "Getting To Happy," Gabler says, "There is no movie without a great script." New writers are being hired to get it into shape, with Whitaker overseeing the work, so at the very least, we're glad to see this isn't just being rushed off into production.
Which brings us to the National Enquirer, who Shadow & Act reveal are teaming with Zig Zag Productions to step into the world of moviemaking. And their first project? A documentary on Whitney Houston. So what kind of high quality programming can we expect? Well take a look at the list of Zig Zag joints and you'll get the picture ("Danny Dyer's Deadlist Men," "Britain's Toughest Town," "Girls Aloud: Where Did It All Go Right?," "The Trouble With Beckham," "Vinnie Jones' Toughest Cops"). Oof. We're sure this will be a shining example of taste and restraint.