MJB Out, Zoë In

Darn those pesky scheduling conflicts: Mary J. Blige has had to drop out of that long-gestating Nina Simone biopic she was going to star in.

That doesn’t mean the project is dead, though: Avatar star Zoë Saldana has been cast as the musical legend in Blige’s stead.

“I find [the actress] to be incredibly compelling,” said Cynthia Mort, the film’s writer-director, who will focus her story on Simone’s later life, flashing back to her youth and to some key moments, like MLK’s assassination. “She has a lot of great qualities.”

Can’t wait to see this one.

Photo: FlicksAndBits.com.