Whitney Houston circling 'Sparkle' musical remake with Jordin Sparks

Whitney Houston hasn’t made a movie since 1996′s The Preacher’s Wife, but EW has confirmed she’s in negotiations to head back to the big screen — in a big way — with the Sony remake of the 1976 movie-musical Sparkle, which is very loosely based on the story of the Supremes.
American Idol season 6 winner Jordin Sparks and comedian Mike Epps are already attached to the cast. Mara Brock Akil, who created TV series The Game and Girlfriends, wrote the film’s script; her husband, director Salim Akil (The Game), will helm the movie. (The Hollywood Reporter first reported the news.)
The 1976 Sparkle — which starred Irene Cara, Mary Alice, and Tony King — centered on the three, Supremes-esque Williams sisters, who rose up from their Harlem church choir into a successful girl group only to have their dreamy fame ruin their personal lives. Sparks is set to play the title character, Sparkle; Houston would play Sparks’ unimpressed mother; and Epps would play Satin, a comedian who marries one of the Williams sisters.
This will mark Sparks’ acting debut. Houston last acted in the made-for-TV movie Cinderella, opposite Brandy, in 1997.