Whitney Houston is up for a new job…if she can stay sober for longer than five minutes.

Word on the Curb is the “So Emotional” hitmaker is negotiating to return to the big screen for the first time since 1996′s The Preacher’s Wife in Sony’s remake of the 1976 movie musical Sparkle.

Jordin Sparks will make her feature film debut in the movie about a trio of singing sisters. The former American Idol is attached to play the title character, a role made famous by Irene Cara in the original movie. Houston will replace Mary Alice playing her housekeeper mother, Effie. Comedian Mike Epps is also attached to star; he’s been cast as Satin, a stand-up comic who marries one of the sisters and gets her hooked on drugs.

TheWrap.com writes: “Sparkle focuses on three sisters who form a musical group and then have to contend with the ups and downs of stardom. Think the Supremes. Mara Brock Akil wrote the script and her husband, Salim Akil is directing. The latter worked with Epps on Sony’s Jumping the Broom. Debra Martin Chase is producing the Sony project…”

Production begins next month.

It’s rehab for Bobby and Whitney’s out of control celebuspawn, Bobbi Kristina Brown.

The formerly cracked-out couple — who were married for 14 years before finally calling it quits in 2007 — have come together in a rare display of unity to check there troubled daughter into an undisclosed out-patient rehab program after The National Enquirer published snaps of Bobbi Kris (or “Krissi,” as she now prefers to be called…) snorting cocaine that rocked the web earlier this month. A former boyfriend told the tabloid that Krissi, who just turned 18, has bedded more than 30 men and is quietly battling an addiction to the anti-anxiety drug Zanax.

While Bobby and Whitney can’t help but blame one another for Bobbi Kris’ troubles, the parents agree that intervention is in order.

“Whitney called Bobby and they agreed that Krissi needs rehab,” a source-type blabs of the reaction that ensued shortly after the cocaine pic scandal broke. “They also agreed on a tough-love move to shake Krissi up, and Whitney returned a Lexus convertible she’d bought for Krissi birthday.”

Naturally, Ole Bobbi Kris is fighting the idea of rehab tooth-and-nail, according to insiders.

“Krissi is denying that she has a problem. She says that she does cocaine for fun and isn’t addicted.”

Famous last words?

“Bobby reminded Whitney that she used to have drugs all over their house. He also accused her of being ‘coked up’ in public, looking like a mess, and setting a bad example all along to their daughter,” the Enquirer source adds.

Well — she wasn’t going to take that lying down!

“Whitney told Bobby he did drugs too and got into more legal trouble than she ever did….Bobby and Whitney and pointing fingers at each other, but the truth is that they’re both responsible, Krissi has been around while her parents and their friends were drinking and drugging ever since she was a little girl.”

The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From the Crackies: Back in December, reps for ’80s R&B star Bobby Brown and singing legend Whitney Houston denied a tabloid report that claimed the former couple had staged an intervention for their out-of-control teen daughter, Bobbi Kristina. As it turns out, Homegirl could likely use a trip to Celebrity Rehab. Spies at The National Enquirer have gotten their Hot Little Hands on incriminating snaps of Bobbi Kris “allegedly” (Hint, Nudge, Wink) powdering her nose with “The Good Shit.”

Where’s that Dr. Drew when you need him?

In a nutshell, the 18-year-old — who has previously been photographed downing cans of Four Loko — says the incriminating photos are “not what it looks like” and were sold to The Enquirer by an ex-boyfriend out for revenge.

Uh-Huh….

In a series of posts to her Twitter page Thursday, the self-proclaimed “RealBKBrown” sprouted out a rambling explanation for the heavily-Googled images: “The pictures_ a former very dear person to me did this. Set me up to make it look exactly what it looks like. God will smite them yes..But it’s really not what it looks like.. People will do anything for money which is extremely sad, and I’m very hurt by this. Thing’s people do these days to hurt others is a shame. All I can do now, is keep my head up high, keep looking towards the lord.All the lord is telling me is be still. That’s all, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. #BeStill,” the teen wrote.

“I love my family so much,” she continued. “My mom just comforted me to the max, and I’m so thankful for her. Thank you so much lord for blessing me with an Phenomenal family and incredibly phenomenal mother. Thank you for giving me the strength to move forward and put things in the past,” Bobbi K. went on.

“And the person that did this was a result of a horrible relationship that went sour. I was in love_ he was in love with money. I’ve learned My lesson. I’m so much greater and blessed for it today, and I believe nothing less. That is the last I will speak of this, let’s praise god And be greatful [sic] and thankful for your family, and people that truly love you, strength, courage, and life lessons learned. GodblessUall «3″

Bobbi Kristina’s all grown-up and going buckwild — but her famous parents are determined to keep their 17-year-old daughter from following in their drug-stained footsteps.

Singing stars Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston — who have battled substance abuse — recently staged an intervention for Bobbi Kristina, after controversial snaps of the teen drinking, smoking, and partying (Otherwise known as “Pulling a Miley Cyrus”) made their way online nearly two weeks ago.

For those of you not familiar with the A&E series Intervention, things likely went a little something like this:

It’s not the first time the gap-toothed wildchild has raised red flags with her behavior. In 2008, Bobbi was photographed smoking a blunt with pals. That year, she also spent time in a psychiatric hospital after she allegedly tried to stab her mother during an altercation and later slashed her own wrists.

Now Bobbi’s parents have stepped in to try and prevent her from inheriting their well-publicized struggles with addiction. Before launching an ill-fated comeback in 2009, Houston, 47, harbored a $300,000 a year drug habit that derailed her career and sent her to rehab — twice. Bobby, 41, has also done time in drug treatment. His vices of choice included cocaine, marijuana, and alcohol.

“Whitney and Bobby sat Bobbi Kristina down and read her the riot act,” a family snitch told The National Enquirer in the tabloid’s Dec. 20 issue. “They brought in counselors and they’re trying to drum into her that because of their problems, she’s genetically predisposed to alcoholism and drug addiction. They’ll do anything to spare Bobbi Kristina from the substance abuse hell they’ve both experienced.”

Bobby and Whitney’s only child has grown-up to be a chip off the old block. And that ain’t sayin’ much. Bobbi Kris sent the blogosphere buzzing last week after MediaTakeOut.com published a series of images of the teenager hobnobbing with pals, complete with alcohol and nicotine. She’s seen toting the alcoholic stimulant drink Four Loko — aka “Blackout in a Can” — and puffing cigarettes. Bobbi K. was even caught kissing a girl!

“Whitney and Bobby are torn because they don’t want to alienate their daughter and overact, but they realize she’s at risk for serious addiction problems, just like them,” the family friend adds. “They’re dealing with these issues as a family, and they’re praying it’s not too late to get Bobbi Kristina back on track.”

Is Whitney back on “that stuff?” That’s claims of pals close to the troubled diva. Word on the Curb has it that the “Million Dollar Bill” star spends a massive $370,000 a year on drugs.

Cocaine is Houston’s drug of choice and The National Enquirer spills that erratic singer’s entourage organized for just under $7,000 worth of cocaine to be delivered to her during a tour stop in Europe last month. Yep, we’re talking about the same tour during which Whitney’s vocals were such a wreck that droves of fans walked out of arenas demanding their money back.

Sources say Whitney — mother of 17-year-old daughter Bobbi Kristina — also shells out an average $7,000 a week on drugs to feed her habit, and when she insisted during her “comeback” interview with Oprah Winfrey that she was clean – she ws actually high as a kite.

“Whitney is a dead woman walking! With the amount of drugs she’s buying, she won’t be able to live long. She’ll be dead in months,” said friend Marlon David, a party promoter. “A friend of mine who’s based in Switzerland is a drug dealer who deals in cocaine. One of Whitney’s people called him and said, ‘Whitney wants to party’.”

Whitney sings…and somewhere in the world a mirror just shattered…..

Whitney Houston’s humiliating “Tour of Shame” continues its disastrous trek across the UK. Fans walked out of the diva’s concert at London’s O2 arena last night after her poor performance terrorized their eardrums with a mirage of bad notes.

The singer’s “Nothing But Love Tour” has been besieged with problems since Houston arrived in Europe a few weeks ago. Whitney was earlier forced to cancel a concert in Paris and reschedule three shows in the UK, after she was hospitalised in the French capital with an upper respiratory infection. Finally, on Sunday night, she admitted her voice was failing as she stood unable to hit the high notes that made her a singing icon and abandoned her song ‘The Greatest Love of All’ halfway through.

After a shaky rendition of her most famous song “I Will Always Love You,” Whitney said of her voice: “She don’t want to come, my soprano friend Sometimes the old girl sings, but not tonight. I want to do it, but she doesn’t want to. She’s getting a little – temperamental, even.”

Critics were less kind. Whit was referred to as “bloated, bedraggled and out of tune” by Daily Mail reviewer Georgina Littlejohn.

“Once again the voice that had left her contemporaries reeling in its wake, was a former shadow of what it used to be,” Littlejohn wrote.

The review continued: “She struggled further with another of her classic songs, this time cutting short “Greatest Love Of All,” only managing to pull of a couple of verses…..And during much of the set she paused and panted for breath between songs while her backing singers did a great job of carrying her with their melodies….Her outfit also left a bit to be desired. She came on stage in tight leather trousers, a sequinned jacket that struggled to fasten at her middle and a bloated face…..Whitney did manage to stay on stage for the majority of the two-hour gig, her first of three at the Docklands venue. But fans were still unhappy, with some even demanding their money back.”

Illness has briefly delayed Whitney Houston’s European tour.

The diva had been due to kick off the UK leg of her “Nothing But Love Tour” in Paris on Tuesday night, but an upper respiratory infection (likely caused by the star’s persistent smoking) is forcing Houston to bow out of that show on doctors’ orders.

The tour will instead get underway Thursday, April 8 in Manchester.

Crack kills vocal cords? Say it ain’t so, Nippy!

Singing legend Whitney Houston has been criticized for struggling through a lackluster two-hour concert at the Brisbane Entertainment Center in Australia on Monday. Fans stormed out of the arena as Houston cooed and coughed through her set, and most notably, struggled to hit the high notes that are a signature of her once illustrious career.

But concert promoter Andrew McManus insists the show, the first of Houston’s “Nothing But Love” Tour Down Under, was a success.

“I saw the whole show. Was it an A? No, it was probably a B+. It was not a train wreck. She was hitting most of the notes. Yes, her throat was a little croaky,” he says. “Her health is fine but she’s also not 22 years of age anymore. She was on stage for two-and-a-half hours dancing, singing, running. Was she a little out of breath on a couple of songs? Yes, she was. But I don’t apologise for that, she had a red-hot go.”

And McManus admits Houston was “surprised” by her fans’ disappointment – because she put her best effort into the gig.

Whitney hasn’t performed live in Australia since 1988.

Did you catch last night’s BET Honors and the network’s tribute to singing diva Whitney Houston? If you missed it, you simply have to check out Jennifer Hudson’s moving rendition of Whitney’s 1993 hit “I Will Always Love You.”

She kills it!

The “Million Dollar Bill” singer may be indulging in drugs and alcohol again to cope with the stress of an international promo tour in support of her charttopping album, I Look To You, tattlers dish in the Jan. 11 issue of The National Enquirer.

Worried friends suggest Whitney is exhibiting some sketchy behavior similar to when she was using. One friend claimed:

“Whitney seems to go from being a nervous wreck to being completely out of it in a short period of time – just like she did when she was freebasing and using crack cocaine. She is still drinking and with Whitney, alcohol and drugs have always gone hand-in-hand. She’s worked so hard to get back on top. It would be tragic for it to go up in smoke because she can’t stay clean.”
Now, under pressure to continue her comeback, the pop icon appears tense and overanxious, said the source, adding: “You can’t help worrying that she’s slipped back into some of her bad habits.”