![]() ![]() Is there a scene or a moment, from making this movie, that stands out for you?ĬHASE: There are so many scenes. Even if you’re telling it in a specific way, with an African American cast, or with young women, or whatever, it has to be something that everybody can relate to. And then, it’s about the universality of the story and if it’s something that everybody can relate to. You can’t reaffirm that enough, in the world. For me, Sparkle is about believing in yourself, so that you can realize your dreams. It doesn’t have to be weighty, and certainly not preachy. What do you look for, as a producer?ĬHASE: I look for the message, and the essence of what the material is about. You’ve been involved in some fantastic franchises, in TV and film. And then, when the right thing came along, she was ready to get back into acting. In terms of the priority of comebacks, it was more important for her, personally, to come back as a singer, with that album and the warm reception that that album received. Obviously, her life had its tumultuous periods, but she was also an African American woman of a certain age. You get to a point in your life where you want to catch up with your life, and spend time with your child and your husband, or whatever. She had been on the road, since she was a young woman. But, she would always say, “I’m a singer, first.” And I think she went through a period where she wanted to live. She didn’t train, but she had natural instincts. So, in some ways, she took it for granted. Kevin Costner approached her about being in The Bodyguard. That acting came her way, wasn’t something she fought for. ![]() and, on the following Tuesday, she was going to have a meeting with the director and we all thought we’d walk out of that with a green light.ĬHASE: You know, Whitney always saw herself as a musician, first. On the Saturday when she was leaving the Bahamas, Aaliyah was on her way to L.A. We were going to try make it either right before The Matrix 2 or right after. They said, “If Aaliyah is interested in it, we will develop it for her.” So, I got on the phone with Aaliyah and her mom, and they said, “Oh, my god, Sparkle is our favorite movie.” So, were on. So, she called one day and said, “What do you think about remaking Sparkle?” I was like, “Oh, my god, that’s one of my favorite movies,” and she said, “Mine too.” Warner Brothers had the rights, so we went to them and they had just signed a three-picture deal with Aaliyah. Whitney and I were producing partners at Brown House and, every now and then, she would call up with an idea. Question: How did this project come to you, and what was your main goal in seeing it come to life?ĭEBRA MARTIN CHASE: This has been a 12-year journey. Check out what she had to say after the jump. She also talked about her overall producing deal with ABC, and how she’s developing the remake of Dirty Dancing, which has been pushed until Spring 2013, in order to give them time to find the right actors for Baby and Johnny. At the film’s press day, producer Debra Martin Chase talked about the 12-year journey of bringing Sparkle to the big screen, how Aaliyah was originally set to star, how proud Whitney Houston would be of her work in the film, what made Jordin Sparks the right choice for the role of Sparkle, and what moment from the shoot stands out the most for her.
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