Romeo Must Die was Silvers attempt to capitalize on what had recently proved to be a bankable idea. Rising singing star Aaliyah died 20 years ago in a plane crash. [40] During this time, Aaliyah participated in the Children's Benefit Concert, a charity concert at the Beacon Theatre in New York. The film is notable for having the romantic pairing be between an Asian man and a Black woman. Instead, the most viewers get to see is a little teasing and a few suggestive looks before the movie ends with them sharing a hug and walking away from the camera. When she was just 15-years-old rumours spread that Aaliyah had married her mentor R. Kelly, who was 27-years-old at the time. [17] Beginning in 1995, Aaliyah's father Michael Haughton served as her personal manager, and her mother assisted him. Her mother told her to be happy she was small and complimented her. [3] She started performing at weddings, church choir, and charity events. Rollin' Raw. Parker Posey stars in this update of Chekhov, swapping familiar New York intelligentsia types for the Russian bourgeoisie. [41] She also became the spokesperson for the Tommy Hilfiger Corporation. OldSchoolKid2. On August 25, 2001, Aaliyah died at the age of 22 in an airplane accident in the Bahamas, when the overloaded aircraft she was traveling in crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all nine on board. It's a very emotional process to do. Aaliyah was paid $1.5 million for Romeo Must Die & $5 million for . But Li actually opened up about the lack of love scenes in the past. The 50-year-old star, . You ask yourself maybe we could have stopped it. In the films closing scene, our Romeo and Juliet dont die, but they dont kiss either. Aaliyah's song Try Again in her first album was a soundtrack for the film Romeo Must Die. Blackground Clarifies Rumors Swirling Around Aaliyah Album (Update)", "Timbaland & Missy Elliott Will Not Work on Aaliyah Posthumous Album", "Chris Brown Pairs With Aaliyah Hologram in 'Don't Think They Know' Video Video", "Timbaland Doesn't Approve Of Aaliyah Vocals On Drake, Chris Brown Songs", "Timbaland Apologizes To Chris Brown For Aaliyah Collab Remarks", "Tink Samples Aaliyah's 'One in a Million', "Here's The Story Behind The New Aaliyah Fragrance", "Unreleased Aaliyah Track to Appear on Timbaland's Forthcoming 'Kings Stay Kings' Mixtape", "Hear a Previously-Unreleased Aaliyah Song on Timbaland's New Mixtape", "MAC Just Announced An Aaliyah Collection", "Finally, We Have a Launch Date for M.A.C's Aaliyah Collection", "The "Aaliyah For Mac" collector's box sells out in minutes", "Aaliyah to be Honored With Wax Figure at Madame Tussauds Las Vegas", "Aaliyah's estate announces her music is coming to streaming services", "FUNKO: POP ROCKS: AALIYAH The "Princess of R&B" and "Queen of Urban Pop", Aaliyah, is stepping out onto the stage of your music collection", "Aaliyah albums streaming: 'Her influence is absolutely everywhere', "Stream Aaliyah's 'One in a Million' Album", "Aaliyah's Estate Slams 'Unscrupulous' Effort to Release Her Music 'Without Transparency', "Official Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart Top 40, 27 August 2021 - 02 September 2021", "Olivia Rodrigo's 'Sour' Returns to No. Aaliyah, born on January 16, 1979, would have been 42 years old this year. "[2][211] According to Billboard, she revolutionized R&B with her sultry mix of pop, soul and hip hop. [124] In a 2014 interview, Aaliyah's cousin Jomo Hankerson said that she "got villainized" for her relationship with Kelly and the scandal over the marriage made it difficult to find producers for her second album. She reportedly lied about her age on the marriage license, claiming she was 18. . Picture: PA. 39 images. According to The Washington Post, the film mentioned that the scene had been scrapped after it tested poorly with an urban audience.. It has not been authorized by the Haughton family. [159] Her body was set in a silver-plated copper-deposit casket, which was carried in a horse-drawn, glass hearse. [160] An estimated 800 mourners attended the procession. . [219] Director of Queen of the Damned Michael Rymer said of Aaliyah, "God, that girl could have gone so far" and spoke of her having "such a clarity about what she wanted. [221] Zendaya drew criticism because people felt that she was too light skinned and did not greatly resemble Aaliyah. We had to make it more interesting, but there was never a political mandate. Maybe thats why the hip-hop kung fu movie is best remembered as a short-lived fancy rather than the palpable cultural phenomenon it felt like to an adolescent me. It grossed US$18.6 million in its first weekend, reaching number two at the box office. Aaliyah noted in a 2001 interview with Vibe that she and Li had filmed at least one love scene but suggested that Warner Bros. simply decided not to include it. So there you have it. The casting team turned to both Black Hollywood and Hong Kong cinema for its Capulet and Montague family stand-ins. A portion of the proceeds was donated to the Aaliyah Memorial Fund, a program that benefits the Revlon UCLA Women's Cancer Research Program and Harlem's Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. 4:40. She was 22 years old at the time of her death. Rounding up our favorite funny videos of the month. [60] They initially experimented with it for a single fight scene with Jet Li and tested it in front of an American audience, which gave an overwhelmingly positive response, before usi 04:18. It also made history by being the first song to reach the top position just from airplay. Romeo Must Die is a 2000 American action film directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak in his directorial debut, and also fight choreography by Corey Yuen, and starring Jet Li and Aaliyah. [218], There has been continuing belief that Aaliyah would have achieved greater career success had it not been for her death. 721 Smith Rd. [26][27] Her sound was also compared to that of female quartet En Vogue. [87] Steve Huey of AllMusic wrote Aaliyah ranks among the "elite" artists of the R&B genre, as she "played a major role in popularizing the stuttering, futuristic production style that consumed hip-hop and urban soul in the late 1990s. Some writers noted that Aaliyah's "silky vocals" and "sultry voice" blended with Kelly's new jack swing helped define R&B in the 1990s. On December 14, 2021, it was announced that a new single would be released by Aaliyah, featuring The Weeknd. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us. Frankly, I dont think I ever approached my work with an agenda, Kennedy explains. But there are still some things that bother fans about it all these years later like how Jet Li and Aaliyah went the entire movie without ever kissing, despite being cast as lovers. So it was not really a decision by the powers that be to prevent an inter-racial relationship from happening on screen. 28 Feb 2023 05:39:16 Maybe Jennifer would have more support if she werent wrong so often. [31] The week after Aaliyah's death, her third album rose from number 19 to number 1 on the Billboard 200. 1:38:50. Perhaps for good reason. Jet Li and Aaliyah at the premiere of the 2000 movie, This password will be used to sign into all, All I Want to Think About Is Cher Kicking That Can Down the Street in, Brad Pitt, Baby Shampoo, a Unitard: The Story Behind That, Okay, TikTok, You Can Calm Down About Aubrey Plaza at the SAG Awards Now, Shakira Takes Some Pointers From Taylor Swift, The Surprisingly Contrarian Case Against Lying About Science, Ed Sheeran Completes His PEMDAS Era With New Album, ASTROs Rocky Leaves the Group After Ending Contract. Romeo Must Die was electric in its casting of Black and Asian actors in all major roles. [143] Aaliyah never publicly addressed their relationship as anything but platonic. Rather, regarding the kiss that was supposed to happen between Han and Trish at that end scene, the truth was, we shot it both ways. In 2000, she starred as Trish O'Day in Romeo Must . [70] Before her death Aaliyah filmed some scenes for the sequels of The Matrix as the character Zee. Aaliyah's brother Rashad Haughton and her cousin Jomo Hankerson were with her when she worked. Spike Lee regulars Delroy Lindo and Isaiah Washington were tapped as ODay patriarch Isaak and his scheming No. Despite being based on one of the most romantic pieces of work ever, the movie isnt very romantic. During her career Aaliyah seemed untouchable when it came to reviews. 3. 2. File photo dated 20 March 2000 shows US recording artist Aaliyah arriving for the premiere of "Romeo Must Die" in Los Angeles. [44] She also contributed to the soundtrack album for the animated film Anastasia, performing a cover version of "Journey to the Past" that earned songwriters Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. [75] In 2001, Aaliyah called her sound "street but sweet", pairing feminine vocals with a gritty urban rhythm track. [163], Aaliyah's brother Rashad delivered the eulogy and described his sister as giving him strength: "Aaliyah, you left, but I'll see you always next to me and I can see you smiling through the sunshine. Bartkowiak recalls Warner Brothers eyeing Janet Jackson for the role of Trish ODay, but when Aaliyah emerged as a possibility, she was the only actress invited to do a screen test. While mainstream (white) audiences grew tired of the genre by mid-decade, young people of color didnt move on so easily. [204] While the I Care 4 U album failed to rechart, Ultimate Aaliyah peaked at number 8 on the UK R&B Albums Chart Top 40[205] and charted for the first time in the US at number 41 on the Billboard 200.[206]. DMX. [36][37] The year after her album was released, Aaliyah was featured on Timbaland & Magoo's debut single, "Up Jumps da Boogie". [31] Additionally, she released "The Thing I Like" as part of the soundtrack to the 1994 film A Low Down Dirty Shame. It performed well at the box office, drawing over $90 million from a $25 million budget. [16][13][39] The same year, she began her acting career, playing herself in the police drama television series New York Undercover. Sparks seem to fly anyway. 2 Mac, respectively; a fresh-faced Anthony Anderson came on as comic-relief punching bag Maurice; with Russell Wong as a strapping Sing henchman and final boss named Kai, and rapper DMX, who would go on to make two more kung fu hip-hop movies with Bartkowiak and Silver, as nightclub owner, Silk. [14], Aaliyah's mother was a vocalist, and her uncle Hankerson was an entertainment lawyer who had been married to Gladys Knight. The lifesize figure was modelled on Aaliyah's iconic "Try Again" outfit and makeup. [6] Houston recalled Aaliyah being "so enthusiastic" about the film; the project was shelved after she died. [154], As the subsequent investigation determined, the aircraft was overloaded by 700 pounds (320kg) when it attempted to take off, and was carrying one more passenger than it was certified for. Soon after her death, the hit singles 'More Than a woman' and 'Rock The Boat' were released, from her third album. Aaliyah worked with record producers Timbaland and Missy Elliott for her second album, One in a Million, which sold three million copies in the United States and more than eight million copies worldwide. [155] The National Transportation Safety Board reported, "The airplane was seen lifting off the runway, and then nose down, impacting in a marsh on the south side of the departure end of runway 27. [186] The 'Kings Stay Kings' mixtape was released on Christmas 2015 and it included an unreleased Aaliyah song titled "Shakin" featuring rapper Strado. Hankerson also expressed confusion over why "they were upset" with Aaliyah given her age at the time. [20] It peaked at number 18 on the Billboard 200 and it was certified two times Platinum by the RIAA. I think I might have to tell Adam Scott that hes a really big influence to me, as a caterer., Toni Collette Is a Mob Boss Dressed Like a Librarian. Its not much of a romance, to be perfectly honest, but as Han Sing and Trish ODay, Li and Aaliyah are coy and cool. [12][16] She had several pet animals during her childhood, including ducks, snakes and iguanas. The Foo Fighters - The Foo Fighters took to the silver screen in 2022 with horror-comedy film 'Studio 666.' It tells the story of the famed band moving into a mansion to record their 10th album, where frontman Dave Grohl finds himself grappling with supernatural forces that threaten both the completion of the album and the band members' lives. "We were coming off of a multi-platinum debut album and except for a couple of relationships with Jermaine Dupri and Puffy, it was hard for us to get producers on the album." Romeo Must Die is a 2000 American action film directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak in his directorial debut, and also fight choreography by Corey Yuen. That year, Li made his American debut as the bad guy in the Joel Silverproduced Lethal Weapon 4 (1998). It was not really a race issue, or a Hollywood issue. Opening to Romeo Must Die 2000 DVD (HD) AlexanderWurmser2k. At the same time, Hollywood was courting talent from a thriving Hong Kong film industry. [120] In the 2019 documentary Surviving R. Kelly, Smith described how he helped Aaliyah forge the necessary documents to show she was 18 in order to marry Kelly. [113], With the release of Age Ain't Nothing but a Number, rumors circulated about a relationship between Aaliyah and R. Kelly,[16][114] including the allegation that they had secretly married without her parents' knowledge. Also, in 1989, Aaliyah performed with none other than Gladys Knight during a five-night stand in Las Vegas. Her funeral was held on Friday August 31st in New York, and 22 white doves were flown to celebrate each year of her life. Total 16,115 days. That was a whole other situation, a whole other time, it was a whole other thing, and I'm sure that people also know that. [30], Aaliyah's debut single, "Back & Forth", peaked at number 5 on the Hot 100 and topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for three weeks. The film brought to life one of the . "I've been hearing about Robert and Aaliyah for a whilethat she was pregnant. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Elliott also feared she would be a diva, but reflected that Aaliyah "came in and was so warming; she made us immediately feel like family. Im a member of Romeo Must Dies target audience of the age group for whom summer vacation meant watching MTV past midnight, who had Aaliyahs sophomore album One in a Million in permanent rotation on our Walkmans. Pos body is later found hanging from a telephone pole as if he were lynched. Plot summary In this modern day Romeo and Juliet, kung fu action star Jet Li plays Romeo to hip-hop singer, Aaliyah Haughton's Juliet. Corey Yeun, the renowned Hong Kong director and choreographer, signed on to direct Romeos fight scenes. They are always in our prayers. Aaliyah died in a plane crash on August 25, 2001 She was 22 years old CNN August 25 is a tough day every year for celebrity stylist Derek Lee. [141][142] In the summer of 2000, Aaliyah was introduced to Dash by his accountant and they formed a friendship. [207] The mid-tempo track, "Poison", was released on December 17, 2021. Those people were invisible to me." In 2000, Aaliyah appeared in her first film, Romeo Must Die. [87] Kelefah Sanneh of The New York Times called her "a digital diva who wove a spell with ones and zeroes", and writes that her songs comprised "simple vocal riffs, repeated and refracted to echo the manipulated loops that create digital rhythm", as Timbaland's "computer-programmed beats fitted perfectly with her cool, breathy voice to create a new kind of electronic music. Aaliyah starred opposite martial artist Jet Li, playing a couple who fall in love amid their warring families. 03:59. Romeo Must Die Review. [190], On August 21, 2019, the Madame Tussauds museum revealed a wax figure of Aaliyah at their Las Vegas location. [152] The coroner theorized that she went into such a state of shock that even if she had survived the crash, her recovery would have been nearly impossible given the severity of her injuries. We loved Jet, and we were trying to figure out what to do with him, explains Romeo Must Die director Andrzej Bartkowiak, who worked as the cinematographer on Lethal Weapon 4. Nevertheless, the idea was hot: Romeo Must Die linked Oakland to Hong Kong, staging impressively choreographed fight scenes set to original early-2000s bops. Her mother made the decision to drop her surname. [208] The single was written by Static Major, The Weeknd and Belly and produced by DannyBoyStyles and Nick Lamb. Then there was The Matrix, also produced by Silver, which revolutionized the Western fight scene with the help of Hong Kong choreographer and wire-stunt specialist Yuen Woo-ping. [3] The single "At Your Best (You Are Love)" was criticized by Billboard for being out of place on the album and for its length. [130] He has refused to discuss his relationship with her, citing her death. [196] After the album's re-release, One in a Million re-entered the UK Official Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart Top 40 at number eight. [86] The duo "mixed choppy, nervous rhythms over loops of computer-generated backing tracks, and incorporating harmonies which within the genre's limited horizons seemed daring". [168] On the first anniversary of Aaliyah's death, a candlelight vigil was held in Times Square; millions of fans observed a moment of silence; and throughout the United States, radio stations played her music in remembrance. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Romeo Must Die (DVD, 2000) at the best online prices at eBay! Mainstream America, for the most part, gets uncomfortable with seeing an Asian man portrayed in a sexual light, said Gene Cajayon, a Filipino American who directed 2001s The Debut. She was heading back to Miami in the evening. Aaliyah's exact age would be 44 years 1 month 13 days old if alive. [73] Ehrlich also expressed that Aaliyah's "silky vocals are more agile than those of self-proclaimed queen of hip-hop soul Mary J. The singer boarded a 10-seat twin-engine Cessna 402B private jet destined for Opa-Locka, Florida. Aaliyah and Li both received praise for their performances, as did the soundtrack, but the film as a whole fared worse with critics; the New York Times referred to the union between hip-hop and kung fu as a relatively chaste marriage. Like many films of its time, it plumbed Asian and Black subcultures without any outright goal of increasing representation onscreen. Everything goes through cycles and phases. John Woo made his American debut in 1993, directing Jean-Claude Van Damme in Hard Target, and in 1995 Rumble in the Bronx became the first Jackie Chan movie to receive wide theatrical release in North America. [77] She explored a wide range of genres such as R&B,[78][79] pop,[80][79] hip hop,[80][81] funk,[78][81] soul,[80] and dance-pop. 2023 Vox Media, LLC. [95], According to director Paul Hunter from day one, "Aaliyah wanted her videos to stand out from clips by other R&B singers". The plot ran like this: Our Juliet, now Trish, and our Romeo, now Han, find common ground in a shared skepticism of their respective criminal families, both involved in a scheme to buy up properties on the Oakland waterfront. [23] In Canada, the album was certified gold by Music Canada for 50,000 copies in shipments. 0:51. The rapper, who co-starred with the R&B singer in the 2000 film Romeo Must Die, collaborated with her on a single for its soundtrack and famously honored her in her 2002 posthumous video ". [114][116], Aaliyah reportedly developed an intimate relationship with Kelly during the recording of her debut album. [52], In addition to acting, Aaliyah served as an executive producer of the film's soundtrack, for which she contributed four songs. Some of them were badly burned. Li is neither ridiculously muscular nor particularly intimidating his movements have a sleek, vulpine quality that give him a solemn, devil-may-care presence, so the thugs and henchmen in Romeo Must Die underestimate him. During an interview with Christopher John Farley, she was asked whether she was still in contact with him and would ever work with him again. Movies featuring interracial couples obviously existed before Romeo Must Die, but those that paired Black and Asian characters were few and often independently financed; consider Mira Nairs Mississippi Masala, Timothy Cheys Fakin Da Funk, or Chi Muoi Los Catfish in Black Bean Sauce. Things you buy through our links may earnNew Yorka commission. When Han lands a decisive blow on Kais head in the flame-drenched finale, the camera rushes forward, exalting his shattered spine with clinical precision. [105], When she changed her hairstyle, Aaliyah took her mother's advice and covered her left eye, much like Veronica Lake. Thus it was decided that Han should take it slowly with Trish do a hug first and maybe leading into a real relationship later, Li continued. Heres what went down. 4. [134] In July 2019, he was arrested on federal charges of sex crimes, human trafficking, child pornography, racketeering, and obstruction of justice. "[220] On July 18, 2014, it was announced that Alexandra Shipp replaced Zendaya for the role of Aaliyah for the Lifetime TV biopic movie Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B, which premiered on November 15, 2014. She obtained a few of them that were anything but complimentary, but not until she starred in Queen of the Damned did any of them get so bad that they could have ruined her career. Romeo Must Die ultimately grossed $91 million, debuting at No. [129], Other allegations were made about Kelly regarding underage girls in the years after Aaliyah's death, and their marriage was used as an example of his involvement with them. Come Back in One Piece. She described the relationship between her and Kelly as "rather close. [43] In December 1997, she performed the Christmas carol "What Child Is This?" I guess they thought it was a little sweeter and left more to the imagination, she told the interviewer, who noted that the 16-year age difference between them may have also been a factor in the decision. She told Vibe magazine in 1994 that she and Kelly would "go watch a movie" and "go eat" when she got tired and would then "come back and work". Though she called music a "first" for her, she also had been acting since she was young and had wanted to begin acting "at some point in my career", but "wanted it to be the right time and the right vehicle" and felt Romeo Must Die "was it". These include Michael Jackson,[95] Stevie Wonder,[96] Sade,[97] Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails,[97] Korn,[98] Donnie Hathaway,[99] Johnny Mathis,[96] Janet Jackson,[95] Whitney Houston,[100] and Barbra Streisand. [188] The Aaliyah for Mac collection was released on June 20 online and June 21 in stores; along with the MAC collection, MAC and i-D Magazine partnered up to release a short film titled "A-Z of Aaliyah" which coincided with the launch. [18][19] Hankerson later introduced her to recording artist and producer R. Kelly,[16] who became Aaliyah's mentor, as well as lead songwriter and producer of her first album, recorded when she was 14. [14][15] She auditioned for several record labels and at age 11 appeared in concerts alongside Knight. [249] In December 2009, Billboard magazine ranked Aaliyah at number 70 on its Top Artists of the Decade,[250] while her album Aaliyah was ranked at number 181 on the magazine's Top 200 Albums of the Decade. [178] On August 13, Timbaland and Missy Elliott dismissed rumors about being contacted or participating for the project. Aaliyah's family later filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the aircraft's operator, Blackhawk International Airways, which was settled out of court. As Diane Haughton and the mourners left, they sang Aaliyah's song "One in a Million". MTV host Ananda Lewis once described it, gleefully, as a perfect marriage of East and West flying kicks, furious fights, vicious wars, and a bangin hip-hop soundtrack. It was a summary that reflected certain reductive cultural shorthands fueling Hollywood: martial arts for Asians and hip-hop for Black Americans. [146] They had a flight scheduled the next day, but with filming finishing early, Aaliyah and her entourage were eager to return to the US and decided to leave immediately. [144] In August 2021, Dash told Entertainment Tonight's Kevin Frazier, "I was reflecting [that] there hasn't been one day since she's passed, not one in the 20 years, that I haven't either heard her name, heard her record, or seen a picture of her Every single day she's present in my life and I feel lucky for that.
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