Gospel Star Jill Scott to Star In Mahalia Jackson Biopic, Produced by Jamie Foxx and Queen Latifah

It was announced today that gospel star, Jill Scott, has signed on to portray gospel icon and activist, Mahalia Jackson, in an upcoming biopic.

The film titled Mahalia! will be executive produced by Oscar winner Jamie Foxx, Queen Latifah, Shakim Compere and Holly Carter. The screenplay for the film is by by Richard Hocutt, Mark Gould and Tricia Woodgett, adapted from the novel Mahalia Jackson by Darlene Donloe.

Lifetime is also producing a biopic of the singer an activist titled The Mahalia Jackson Story, starring ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK star, Danielle Brooks.

Mahalia! will get a theatrical release, and will feature gems from Jackson's musical catalog of hits including "His Eyes Are on the Sparrow," "Amazing Grace" and "Go Tell It On the Mountain."

Born in New Orleans, Mahalia began singing at an early age and went on to become one of the most revered gospel figures in U.S. history, melding her music with the civil rights movement. Her recording of the song "Move on Up a Little Higher" sold millions of copies, skyrocketing her to international fame and gave her the opportunity to perform at diverse settings including in front of a racially integrated audience at the prestigious Carnegie Hall and at John F. Kennedy's inaugural ball.

An active supporter of the Civil Rights Movement, Jackson sang at numerous rallies, including THE MARCH on Washington in 1963 alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in hopes that her music would encourage and inspire racial equality.

Jill Scott is a true multimedia brand across books, clothing, TV and film. Most recently, Jill starred in Get On Up: A James Brown Biopic, as DeeDee, the wife of James Brown. She also starred alongside Tyler Perry & Janet Jackson in the #1 national movie series Why Did I Get Married? (Pt. 1 and 2), Baggage Claim, Steel Magnolias and Sins of the Mother which aired on Lifetime and became the second-most watched premiere in the network's history. Jill was also casted as the lead character in the HBO/BBC mini-series filmed on location in Botswana, The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, a Peabody Award-winning show directed by the late Oscar Award-winning director Anthony Minghella. In 2017, Jill Scott was casted as "Nayyirah Shariff" in the original Lifetime film Flint, a drama based on the Flint water crisis in Flint, Michigan - also starring Betsy Brandy, Marin Ireland and Queen Latifah

A consummate writer at heart, she penned The Moments, The Minutes, The Hours, a compilation of poems that instantly became a New York Times bestseller. Scott also developed an intimates line for Ashley Stewart and founded Blues Babe, a registered 501(c)3 foundation that has raised over hundreds of thousands dollars to support minority students pursuing college degrees.

Jill released her highly anticipated 5th studio album WOMAN on July 24, 2015 which opened on the music charts at #1 giving Jill her 2nd consecutive number one album. In January of 2017, Jill Scott marked her brand's expansion into stationary, releasing an exclusive "Jill Scott" greeting card collection in partnership with Hallmark Mahogany. Jill Scott received a 2017 Grammy nomination in the "Best Traditional R&B Performance" category for her single, "Can't Wait." Jill's most recent endeavor - find her taking on the role of "Hazel" in the BET + remake of the 1996 romantic comedy, The First Wives Club.

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