The last few years of Queen Latifah's career have been nothing short of a minor renaissance. Though the hip-hop pioneer hasn't released an album since 2009's Persona, the last half-decade has been kind to her acting abilities. Latifah continues to lend her voice to the massively popular children's movies Ice Age, and has starred in films like Joyful Noise and The Dilemma. Most recently, she earned rave reviews for her portrayal of the titular character in NBC's live production of The Wiz. Impressive as she was ruling a mythical land behind a bank of smoke-filled mirrors, her latest project seems to be something a little closer to home.

According to Deadline, Latifah has been cast in an upcoming Lee Daniels project, known to some by the working title Star. The show, which is the first project developed under Daniels' overall deal with 20th Century Fox TV, centers on three young women with aspirations of making it in the competitive Atlanta music scene. Those principals will be played by Jude Demorest, Ryan Destiny and Brittany O’Grady. Latifah plays Carlotta, described as: "the owner of an Atlanta beauty salon, with an amazing voice, who will become a surrogate mother to the three girls--even though she doesn’t approve of their musical dreams." The pilot, co-written by Daniels and Tom Donaghy, begins shooting this month in Atlanta. The project, officially untitled, has not yet been given a series order by Fox, but will likely air in the late summer or early fall.

 

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