Variety.com reports that Janet has quit her role in the Lena Horne biography voluntarily. In addition, both producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan have also chosen to leave the film but have stated that they are eager to work with Janet on a similar project:
In the latest ripple caused by Janet Jackson’s Super Bowl exposure, the singer has abruptly withdrawn from an ABC biopic about Lena Horne — putting the project in limbo.
Storyline Entertainment partners Craig Zadan and Neil Meron have ankled as exec producers in solidarity with Jackson, who was due to play Horne.
A spokeswoman for Jackson said she was effectively dis-invited from the movie by Horne and her daughter Gail Lumet Buckley, who were incensed when Jackson flashed during the halftime show. Horne refused to return her contract for the pic until ABC guaranteed that Jackson was off the project, which is being produced by Storyline and Sony Pictures Television. ABC execs refused Horne’s demand, but the issue has become moot with the reaction of Jackson, Zadan and Meron.
Alphabet insiders said the project is now up in the air; barring another superstar casting, however, it’s unlikely to move forward.
“It’s sad this had to happen. It was a perfect match,” one ABC insider said.
The Super Bowl stunt has had far reaching implications. The FCC is investigating, and broadcasters have in turn tightened the screws to eliminate the chance of another unscripted surprise that could shock and offend mass audiences.
Stormy weather was rumored to be brewing over the ABC biopic early last week, as word surfaced that Horne’s displeasure hadn’t abated. At the time, it was hoped that the singers would meet and that the duet would end harmoniously. But Horne refused to meet with Jackson.
Jackson looked at the movie as a prestigious way to jumpstart her acting career, which has included roles in 1970s sitcom “Good Times” and John Singleton’s “Poetic Justice.” She was recently photographed as Horne in a glamorous Vanity Fair layout.
Zadan and Meron left the project right after Jackson, and a spokeswoman for the producers said they would concentrate on finding another project to do with the singer.
It’s not surprising they stuck by Jackson. While ABC already had optioned a Horne bio, it wasn’t until Jackson approached the producers that the project became a film on the fast track.
Jackson signed to play the elegant singer who broke racial barriers, and she also planned to re-record some of Horne’s classic songs.
“She is someone I’ve admired my whole life,” Jackson said of Horne when the project was greenlit last fall.
Roy Campanella Jr. was set to direct Shirley Pierce’s script based on “Lena,” the autobiography the singer wrote with Richard Schickel.
20 replies on “Janet quits Lena film”
wow i was really looking forward seeingher protray lena i can’t believe lenas attitude she should be supporting janet instead of rallying against her but janets never bothered she pulled out anyway u can’nt hold her down. janets #1
😛 stupid lena that’s what u get 4 not supporting JANET now more than likely u have no movie of urself. :angry: :angry:
I LOVE U JANET.
How true is this story, I really can’t belive that ms. Horne would do that, it really makes me sad. We hardly see anything on TV about postive Black women, i know janet would have done a great Job
Daz, you should put Lena’s Agents contact info on your site and tell people to email him/her. 😎
im actually kind of glad this isn’t happening, it will give Janet more time for her music 😛
this makes me so mad, and i feel so bad for janet too. she definitely doesn’t deserve this kind of treatment.
Lena should be happy a mega star like janet wants to do a tribute to her old ass. I’m sure she has lots of dirt swept under the rug that wasn’t going to be shown in the movie.
Get off of your soapbox Lena and get paid!
I can’t believe tis either. :angry: I’m just glad the producers left with Janet and now the project is unlikely to move forward. Lena Horne has made a mistake and no it doesn’t look like a movie about her will be made.
LOL is there ever a day with no drama in Janets life? 😎
Who the hell does ole Horney think she is, Janet is the best thing that could have ever happened to that movie alot of young ppl don’t even know let alone care who LH is and Janet would have definitely caught their attention so it’s her loss Janet is gonna get other big deals so she doesn’t anythin’ to worry ’bout.
Hey this is just an idea, but I think Janet should come out with her own intimate jewelry line or lingeri line, I mean we’ve all seen that she has great taste :blush: I would difinitely get me some of whateva she’s sellin’ 😉 🙂
Well, I already expressed my disigust w/ Horne for doin’ this to Jan when I 1st read about it o janet-world.com’s message board. But it’s "whatever!" cuz J. doesn’t need that ol’ crotchety witch, or her movie.
Omg, that is so wrong of lena horne, I mean JANET looks just like the woman, isnt everybody allowed to make mistakes, if they get another actress to do it I will boycott, becuase thats wrong for lena horne to do that, lena horne acting like she aint never make mistake before!!!
I think Janet should do a duet with RuPaul, now that would be hottt
Wow, Lena Horne is a mega-bitch. I think it is great that ABC was going to deny Lena’s request and still let the movie go. It was classy of Janet to pull out. Janet will come out looking like the better person. Lena can be remembered not for breaking black barriers, but for her intense PMS which turns her into a stupid ugly bitch.
I’m not shocked that she did this. My grandma who grew up in the time of lena
horne described her as a person who consistently married outside of her race to further her career & that she would not have been the big deal she was if she wasn’t very fair skinned with european features. I
have to say that i believe that. Just seeing the way she could just turn on janet after jan gave her nothing but praise makes all the sense in the world. Maybe Jan was too dark for her all along…people like that are scary. I’m glad Jan isn’t going to play her, to me Lena is unworthy. :angry:
I’m very disappointed that Miss Horne would turn against her own sista, when it’s totally obvious that what happened with Janet was a mistake. 🙁
GUYS!! I DONT KNOW WHAT TO SAY!!! YOU GUYS ARE SUCH GOOD FANS YOU MAKE ME CRY 🙁 YOU TOOK THE WORDS RIGHT OUT OF MY KEYBORD!!! DAMMITA JO!!! YOU DONT NEED THE OLD FART!!! FUC-K HER!!! LOVE YOU BABY!!!
We DON’T need you, Lena! Whoare you anyways? As a matter of fact,
:angry:I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT LENA HORNE WOULD DO THIS TO JANET. I AM SO HAPPY THAT THE PRODUCERS DECIDED TO PULL OUT TOO. THEY ALONG WITH JANET GOT THE PROJECT OFF THE GROUND. LET’S HOPE THEY FIND SOMETHING ELSE FOR JANET. LENA YOU DON’T DESERVE TO HAVE YOUR LIFESTORY TOLD ON TV.
Tourniquette, you could not be more right about Lena horne, she is no proud black woman ,person, or anything else for that matter,In her day she was considered a hore a sellout,I could not be more happy janet will not be in a made for televison movie,a star of her quality should be in nothing less than a feature film.Lena you had a chance to be remembered by a new generation, any black person in the industry, who disses another artist,has lost sight of the big freakin picture,your nothing but a pawn used to push new agendas.When lena horne who by the way is barely black ,goes against Janet in the press it makes us all look week as black people.Notice how justin in his own community has gone untouched, by media,or any of his fellow white artist.Even if you hate what she did,which i don t rock and fuckin roll baby,what she did is not bigger than the postion she has,or who she is ,without question this woman and family are royalty in the music business,a real player would never go against that.TO JANET YOU HAVE FORTUNES FULL,STAND UNAMAZED.