Whitney Houston's music will be brought back to life by way of Deborah Cox in the upcoming Lifetime film about the singer, reports E! Online. Cox is set to recreate Houston's "vocal tracks" for I Will Always Love You: The Whitney Houston Story while "music rights and clearances are still being worked out," a rep for Lifetime said.

Former America's Next Top Model contestant Yaya Alafia was cast as Houston in the Angela Bassett-directed project. The Oscar-nominated actress, who co-starred with Houston in Waiting to Exhale, makes her directorial debut with the made-for-TV movie that will focus on the singer's relationship with Bobby Brown. The former New Edition frontman will be played by Arlen Escarpeta.

"I really just want to tell a story about a boy and a girl who fell in love," Bassett said in an interview with CNN. "And these are the words and this is the place, and these are the people on the outside, you know? And I want to be as honest as I can about doing that."

Houston's family is against the film, mainly because it's for television versus the silver screen.  "Whitney is certainly worthy of more than a television movie," her sister-in-law and onetime manager, Pat Houston, said. "If Whitney were here today, this would not be happening."

The family may consider legal action against the network. Lifetime previously aired a reality show featuring Pat, Houston's daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown and other family members. 

I Will Always Love You: The Whitney Houston Story premieres next year. 

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(Photos from left:  Frank Micelotta/Getty Images, Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)