Whitney Houston Discusses Aaliyah and Upcoming Film ‘Sparkle’

Whitney Houston is currently shooting the feature film 'Sparkle' with Jordin Sparks, and now the R&B diva is opening up about the title role, which was originally set to be played by Aaliyah before her untimely death.

"When we brought it to her, she was so enthusiastic about it and she wanted to do it so badly," Houston says in an exclusive interview with 'Access Hollywood.' "She was our Sparkle. Unfortunately, it just didn't go that way."

Houston says she shelved the project, adding, "I put it down. I said, 'My Sparkle has gone to a better place,' and we just left it alone."

'Sparkle' follows the Williams sisters, who go on to become a successful girl group. Houston plays Sparkles' mother, Effie, a role that she said she decided to take on because she "felt it." She continues, "I felt the role; I felt the love a woman has for her children in the late '60s trying to keep her family together -- single mother, hi."

‘Sparkle’ was originally released in 1976. Its remake, which is currently shooting in Detroit, also stars Cee Lo Green, Mike Epps and Derek Luke, and is slated to open in theaters in 2012.

Houston's 'Access Hollywood' interview will air in two parts on Nov. 14 and 15.

Watch Whitney Houston Talk About 'Sparkle' on 'Access Hollywood'