Should Zoe Saldana Play Nina Simone In Biopic?!

A film about the Feeling Good singer's life has reportedly signed on Zoe Saldana to star as soul singing legend Nina Simone.

The project has been in the pipeline for several years and is based on Nina's 1992 autobiography I Put A Spell On You, with the biopic based at Ealing Studios in the UK. The official Hollywood blog ItsOnTheGrid.com is reporting that the Avatar actress is now attached to star, yet it does not say if she will play the singer herself.

Originally, singer Mary J. Blige was previously linked to the starring role, along with David Oyelowo (Red Tails) as Nina's assistant Clifton Henderson, and it was rumored that the film would focus on their relationship. Even if it seems that the "No More Drama" singer has exited the project, casting Saldana as the lead character sounds like an odd choice. Would it make better sense to have Zoe portray Simone, aka Lisa Celeste Stroud, the musician's daughter? Their ages line up and Stroud was just over 30-years-old when her mother passed away.

At any rate, it is awesome to see that this project hasn't hit the cutting room floor and is still kicking around, even if there's no word on how much closer it is to getting made.

Props: Empire Online