Will Whitney Houston Join Jordin Sparks as Co-Star of 'Sparkle' Remake?

Posted on Sep 13th 2011 2:35PM by Contessa Gayles

Whitney Houston, Jordin Sparks Getty Images

Whitney Houston may be prepping to make her silver-screen comeback in a role opposite Jordin Sparks. According to Variety, the singer/actress is in negotiations to join the 'American Idol' winner in a Sony Pictures remake of the 1976 film 'Sparkle.'

Whitney, 48, is in negotiations to appear alongside Sparks, 21, and actor Mike Epps, 40, in the Salim Akil-directed film. The original movie followed three church choir-singing sisters in late 1950s Harlem, who go on to become a successful girl group, only to let the pressures of fame destroy their personal lives.

The remake will take place in 1968 Detroit during the rise of Motown and focus on the youngest prodigy sister, Sparkle, played by Sparks (funnily enough).

While Sparks has already signed a deal to make her big screen debut, Whitney is still in talks and has yet to ink her contract to play opposite Jordin as Sparkle's mother, Effie.

The project would be Houston's first major film role in 15 years since appearing in 1996's 'The Preacher's Wife,' after 1995's 'Waiting to Exhale' and 1992's 'The Bodyguard.'

When asked about plans to continue acting after finishing a stint in the Broadway musical 'In the Heights,' Jordin told AOL Music, "I would love to! It just all comes down to timing and the perfect project. I was sent a couple of scripts and I was really excited about that, but with the new single, the timing just didn't work. But I would absolutely love to do more acting."

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