Is RiRi the new Whitney? She might be, if some movie executives have their way. A new report suggests that Rihanna is on the shortlist to play Whitney Houston in a biopic of the late ‘I Will Always Love You’ singer’s life.

The Daily Mail says that Clive Davis, Houston’s longtime friend and record label boss, is itching to finalize a script and begin shooting the film. Jennifer Hudson and Jordin Sparks are also said to be in the running for the starring role, while Willow may portray Houston as a child.

Though it may seem like the idea of a Whitney Houston biopic is attempting to capitalize on the public’s renewed interest in the singer after her untimely passing, the movie has actually been in the works for some time. “Whitney knew about the project and was excited to see where it would lead,” a source told the site.

Those planning the film see it as a similar effort to the Tina Turner biopic ‘What’s Love Got to Do With It,’ which became a critical and box office hit in 1993. Houston had been considered for the role of Turner, which eventually went to Angela Bassett, who earned an Oscar nomination for her performance.

The Daily Mail reports that Rihanna turned down an opportunity to remake ‘The Bodyguard,’ saying she didn’t want to portray a singer, so it’s not clear whether she’d be up for the idea of playing Whitney. RiRi recently moved out of her comfort zone by playing a weapons officer in ‘Battleship.’

Do you think Rihanna could convincingly play Whitney Houston?

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