First Look: Yaya DaCosta As Whitney Houston In New Lifetime Biopic

Published: Thursday 10th Jul 2014 by Rashad
whitney-yaya-cover-thatgrapejuice

We are getting closer and closer to Lifetime’s controversial biopic of late pop icon Whitney Houston.

Directed by Academy Award-nominated actress and longtime friend of Houston’s Angela Bassett, the film is moving full speed ahead despite a very public slamming from the Grammy winner’s troubled daughter Bobbi Kristina (read more on that here).

From a viewer perspective, on the other hand, the film seems to have the green light from fans.  This feat was all the more confirmed when news surfaced that ‘America’s Next Top Model’ contestant Yaya DaCosta was cast to portray the powerhouse songstress in the forthcoming flick.

If ever there was doubt as to why, one look at the pic above should remove it.  Tuck in below for your first HQ look at Yaya as Whitney:

Via Entertainment Weekly:

YaYa-DaCosta_612x716

 

Do you approve?

whitney houston tgj

 

 

Your thoughts?

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  1. Tonio July 10, 2014

    Idk. But do she have acting experience because isn’t that’s what Basset had a issue about with Bobbi?

    • SdotB July 10, 2014

      @Tonio…yes, she does have acting experience…she starred in the movie “Coach Carter” and has been in numerous other supporting roles and also commercials…Ya Ya is a force to be reckoned with!

    • Beygency July 10, 2014

      Yep she started out as an actress before Top Model and she has been on the soap open All My Children where she had a recurring role & in the movie The Butler among other things

  2. Hur July 10, 2014

    APPROVED! she looks great!

  3. PeaceMaker July 10, 2014

    NO!

  4. Jamie July 10, 2014

    She looks the part but can she act?

    • the voice July 10, 2014

      Yes. do ur homework. she has been in SEVERAL films… incuding The Butler

      Im glad they are using Whitney’s voice. She is THE VOICE

  5. RoyalKev July 10, 2014

    Oh, hell to the no! *Whitney voice*

    • Hunter July 10, 2014

      That’s the same thing I said when Brandys ugly a** want to play Whitney..LOL

      • Hunter July 10, 2014

        *Wanted

    • RoyalKev July 10, 2014

      ^ I wanted you to keep out of my reply section, K!

      • Hunter July 10, 2014

        LOL You said hell no to Ya..and that’s how I feel about mud face..lol what..lol

    • Royalkev July 10, 2014

      No, I said that because I didn’t see any resemblance between Yaya and Whitney. Yaya’s not ugly to me. LOL …. But watch yourself Hunter!

      • Hunter July 10, 2014

        I know what you meant,..but i’m just relating the same response that you had, is exactly how I felt about ugly thinking she could play, or even resemble Whitney. Fyi..there’s no need for me to watch myself computer thug lol..

    • Royalkev July 10, 2014

      Lol. Computer thug? That’s not what I do here. You wouldn’t be able to determine how thuggish I am because you’re not trying to test me in person. Your attitude towards Brandy is not similar to my thoughts of Yaya. Hell to the no ≠ Mud face/ugly. I personally don’t want Bran to play Whitney either, but you’re doing too much!

  6. IStanForYourFav July 10, 2014

    This is so sick it brought my chill down my back. Thumbs me down, but I’m going to say what I feel. This is terrible. The movie should not be made. It’s like they are so money hungry and concerned with everything but what is truly important, and that is Whitney’s legacy. So you mean to tell me that you can mock Whitney’s legacy with no remorse Angela? I think you are simply one of the best actresses in Hollywood, but I’m not here for this b*******. The chick looks pretty, but not here for the implants sticking out nor am I here for that foundation. Good luck. I will NOT watch. Sorry, but not sorry.

    • RoyalKev July 10, 2014

      Everybody’s your “friend” after death, especially when there’s money to make off of you! I find myself questioning a lot of Angela’s motives lately. I know the cast of Waiting to Exhale were really rooting for a sequel. Now that it’s no longer possible, I wonder if that loss opportunity is what birthed this quick scheme to make a fast buck. I honestly never thought of Angela to be one of Whit’s closest friends. Angela’s not dedicating this film to Whit’s career/legacy. She’s focusing more on the turbulence in Whit’s marriage. I tell you, sometimes you can’t tell a part enemies from friends.

      • IStanForYourFav July 10, 2014

        You’re telling the truth. I wonder if Waiting to Exhale two as supposed to be her last film. We all know Whitney wanted to retire so bad. I bet a lot of people don’t even know that Sparkle is like a 12 y.o. film. The original film was supposed to have Aaliyah in it. I never saw Angela as one of her friends like that either. Having Angela direct a film about a public messy marriage is not honoring your friend. I guess the next thing Hollywood will do next is having Mariah Carey directing a Whitney Houston series… 🙁

    • RoyalKev July 10, 2014

      ^ Exactly why is Angela her bestie all of a sudden?! Whitney’s true friend’s were Cece, Bebe, Kim Burrell … Bran was her baby daughter (before Bobbi)… even Pat was her left arm. Shid, even Pebbles was close to her at one time! What qualifies Angela to be the one to tell us Whit’s story?

      • IStanForYourFav July 10, 2014

        We all wish we knew. I was hoping YaYa would pull a Zendaya and quit the movie so they can’t continue w/ production, but oh well still won’t be being my view.

      • credits July 10, 2014

        Angela isn’t going to tell us anything we don’t already know about whitney’s life. Whitney’s life was all over the tabloids and the news. The point is this, Some big shot white guy hollywood director (not to be sound racist) could have snatched this film up but if Angela does it, it feels closer to home if you know what i mean. Kim, Bebe, Cece and brandy can slay with their voices but they do not have the experience to direct a film. come on, Angela is one of the best actresse, knows what it takes to be a director now and has worked with whitney on waiting to exhale, don’t act like her directing the film is completely arbitrary, maybe they got close during the time they worked together. And don’t say that this is to make a quick buck, i’m sure she has her own money. Didn’t you see her 50 year old self on American Horror Story looking like she is 32?

    • RoyalKev July 10, 2014

      I’d like to believe that Angela have good intentions, but I just can’t begin to understand how a “close” friend chooses to honor someone they had genuine respect for by highlighting a rocky marriage. I don’t particularly care for the bait being used to draw in viewers! Yes, we did see all the drama in tabloids, but it’s not the duty of a “friend” to perpetuate. No one is twisting Angela’s arm and forcing her to depict a story this way, this is the angle she decided to go with. I see what you’re getting at by stating that it feels closer to home. I just think sometimes our neighbors are the crabs in the barrels that don’t do us any favors when an opportunity arises. There’s so much to a Whitney Houston story that needs to be explored. Whitney was not her marriage! She was an accomplished superstar, movie star, mother, daughter of respected musical legend and much more. I don’t have anything against Yaya, I’d like to see great things happen for her. I just have my doubts with Angela. I almost wish this film was in the hands of Kevin Costner now.

  7. IStanForYourFav July 10, 2014

    Oh to answer Sam’s question… NO

  8. #TeamTinashe Stan (BUY “2 On”) July 10, 2014

    Not bad!

    Way better than what they did with Aaliyah’s biopic.

    Why is Hollywood doing a lot of Biopics on black superstars nowadays?

    Anyways they should do a movie on Celine Dion. Celine Dion was truly one of the GREATEST! “The Colours Of Love” is a bonafide CLASSIC!

    Britney Spears, Madonna, KISS, The Temptations, Spice Girls, Tupac, and Kurt Cobain. These are all GREAT choices right here. I was going to say Destiny Child but way too early and we don’t want the other members to look bad that their careers didn’t spun off like Beyonce.

    – #TeamTinashe APPROVED!

  9. #TeamTinashe Stan (BUY “2 On”) July 10, 2014

    I kinda don’t even want to see a Whitney movie right now, it’s way too fresh. She died two years ago…..

    And I kinda don’t want to see an Aaliyah movie because the settings it has is Star Search, R. Kelly, Movies and the tragedy. And the important part is that she was very mysterious. But if it does happen the role should go to Keshia Chante. Lolita looks exactly like Aaliyah and well tries her very best to talk like her lol it’ll actually scare me a bit if she played her.

    An Usher and a “Bad Boys (Record Label)” biopic would be a good idea.

  10. The First Lady July 10, 2014

    Whitney doesn’t need a f****** biopic. Can’t we just remember her by her HUGE talent? She’s only been dead for two years and her family has already had a reality show, released books, did multiple interviews and now are allowing a biopic to be filmed? Leave Whitney’s legacy alone!

  11. Beauty is her name July 10, 2014

    Whitney doesn’t need a f****** biopic. Can’t we just remember her by her HUGE talent? She’s only been dead for two years and her family has already had a reality show, released books, did multiple interviews and now are allowing a biopic to be filmed? Leave Whitney’s legacy alone!

  12. Proud-Arianantor July 10, 2014

    I’m not hating but Angela Basett looks like a drag queen on crack

  13. Alan July 10, 2014

    Been a huge Whitney fan for the last 20 years even met her an have her signatures
    Tattooed to my leg. Ain’t feelin this cheap Whitney biopic at all. She has a tiny resemblance because
    She has curly hair and the body top on nope nope leave her to rest in piece.
    Her estate shid pull their finger from there ass and release some music
    Not another greatest hits

  14. BEYFLAWLESS July 10, 2014

    cant wait

  15. RICHIE_RICH July 10, 2014

    I mean who else can Play Nippy? I think Ya ya fits the bill..

    I do think it’s a little to soon for a biopic. It’s all about the MONEY.

  16. DIGGER BEY July 10, 2014

    She looks just like Whitney. I believe she will put on a great performance. I hope this is her break out role.

  17. Mark111 July 10, 2014

    Wow! And you h*** wanted Jennifer Hudson, lol.

    If the fans and the family wants this film to be in theaters, why wont they? I mean the support is there.

    • ForeverAaliyah July 10, 2014

      did they cancel the Aaliyah movie or did they put it on hold since zendaya dropped out?

  18. JOHNVIDAL July 11, 2014

    Well, I guess this is the best they can do to make someone look like Whitney Houston. Still, I don´t like the idea of these biopics, and this is probably going to be a cheap one. At least i´m glad they didn´t get Rihanna, known for her undeserving singles success and lack of vocal ability…

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