Tony Award nominee, SAG, and Grammy Award-winning actress Danielle Brooks (Orange is The New Black) will portray gospel music icon and civil rights activist Mahalia Jackson in a new Lifetime biopic.

The film will follow Jackson’s life and career as she began singing at an early age and went on to become one of the best-known gospel singers in U.S. history.

According to Hollywood Reporter, the movie is a part of a four-film deal Lifetime has signed with Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts and her Rock’n Robin Productions. Roberts previously worked with Lifetime as an executive producer on Stolen by My Mother: The Kamiyah Mobley Story, a drama starring Niecy Nash.

Tony winner Kenny Leon (Broadway’s A Raisin in the Sun, Fences, American Son) is set to direct the biopic. This is a reunion between Leon and Brooks as they previously worked on the stage production of Much Ado About Nothing. 

The news of The Mahalia Jackson Story comes following the success of Lifetime’s The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel (2020) which became the cabler’s highest-rated original movie since 2016 with 2.7 million viewers.

Tamera Mowry-Housley announced her exit fromThe Real on Monday.

“For seven years, my home and heart has been at The Real. The friendships that I’ve made there will last a lifetime, and the people that I’ve had the blessing to interview have changed my life for the better. I’m so proud of what all the ladies and I have accomplished there, including two well-deserved NAACP Image Awards and a Daytime Emmy. However, all good things must come to an end, and it’s with a bittersweet smile that I announced that I am moving on from The Real,” she said in a statement posted on her social media.

She concluded: “To my fellow hosts, I love you, I will miss you, and I will always be there for you. Thank you for teaching me, supporting me, and loving all of me. Sisters forever. I’ll be rooting for you, as I look forward to spending more time with my family, pursuing amazing new opportunities, and embarking on the next chapter of my life.”

The announcement was posted the same day that actress Naya Rivera, Mowry’s family friend, was confirmed dead after her body was discovered at Lake Piru in California.

“I had NO intention to talk about this today, especially in light of the news of my dear friend Naya, but now some reports are coming out and I’d rather you hear it from me first,” the Sister Sister star wrote in the caption.

Mowry-Housley has co-hosted The Real since it premiered in 2013.

The new show titled Young Love will follow the original characters Stephen, Angela, their daughter Zuri and cat Rocky as they juggle their careers, marriage, parenthood, social issues, and multi-generational dynamics all while striving to make a better life for themselves.

Matthew A. Cherry, the creator of Hair Love, will also serve as a showrunner with longtime animator Carl Jones (The Boondocks) on the 12-episode series.

“I am beyond excited to continue telling the story of Stephen, Angela and Zuri and further explore the family dynamics of a young Black millennial family we established in our short film Hair Love as an animated series,” Cherry shared in a statement. “Couldn’t ask for better partners in Sony Pictures Animation and HBO Max in helping us get Young Love out to the world.”

Monica A. Young, David Steward II and Carl Reed will executive produce the series.

The premiere date for the new series is still TBD. Stay tuned!