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“Sparkle” wasn’t the only movie project Whitney Houston had lined up before her passing. The sequel to the 1995 classic “Waiting to Exhale” was also slated to be in the works, and Fox’s president says the movie will still go on without her.

Fox 2000 Pictures purchased the rights to the movie sequel from Terry McMillan after she published Getting to Happy in 2010, and President Elizabeth Gabler said there are no plans to cancel production in light of news of Whitney’s death.

“I don’t think she would want it to,” Elizabeth said in an interview with Vulture Monday afternoon. “It’s almost in her honor that we think to soldier on.”

Once the shock over Whitney’s sudden death passes, Elizabeth says discussions will begin about who would be an appropriate replacement for her character, and she mentioned that since Oprah Winfrey has done her share of acting and worked over time to promote the film, “it isn’t inconceivable” that she might have an interest in playing the part, although Elizabeth adds:

“We literally have not talked about anybody for that part. Forest [Whitaker], I know, is just … grieving. He’d been the one who was speaking with her, updating [Houston] on its progress.”

It’s hard for me to envision Oprah taking on that part for a number of reasons and it seems as though it may be best to try to cut Savannah out of the script as much as possible. But since it’s nearly 20 years after the original film debuted, maybe no one will mind the character change.

What do you think Fox should do about Whitney Houston’s character? If they replace her, who would be a good choice?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

Source: MADAME NOIRE!

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