HOLLYWOOD - The vampire movie Queen of the Damned, whose star Aaliyah was killed in a plane crash on Aug. 25, is set for release in February thanks to the help of her brother, Time magazine reports.In Queen of the Damned, Aaliyah plays a 6,000 year-old Egyptian vampire named Akasha. The film is based on an Anne Rice novel and is a follow-up to the 1994 box office hit Interview With the Vampire starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt.
Although Aaliyah had completed her role when she died in the plane crash in the Bahamas, some dialogue touch up was required to clarify some lines.
A representative of the family told Time that because Rashad's voice has the same smooth, serene tones as his sister, he was able to re-record a small number of words and stray lines of Aaliyah's dialogue. His voice was then mixed with hers to give the lines more force and clarity.
The technique is nothing new. Nick Adams, a friend of James Dean, recorded a few lines after the actor died in a car accident in 1955 before his movie Giant had been released.
At the time of her death, Aaliyah also had a role in the sci-fi thriller The Matrix Reloaded starring Keanu Reeves. But since she had not done much filming for the project yet, it is unlikely that her work can be salvaged.