Jennifer Hudson is earning everyone’s respect as legendary singer Aretha Franklin in the new trailer for the upcoming biopic about the Queen of Soul.
Released during the BET Awards, the trailer starts off with the Dream Girls star singing her iconic song Respect (after which the film gets its title). The word shines behind her in giant neon-style letters before we see clips of Franklin rising to fame.
The long-awaited film follows Franklin’s life from singing in her father’s church to becoming one of the most legendary musicians of all time.
Aside from Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin, the Liesl Tommy-directed film also stars Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Audra McDonald, Queen Latifah, Mary J. Blige, Marc Maron, Tate Donovan, Tituss Burgess and newcomer Sky Dakota Turner.
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Franklin was a part of the film’s production up until her death in 2018. She died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 76. She received 18 Grammy Awards as well as a total of 44 nominations during her prolific career.
The film was originally scheduled to release in August. But it was pushed back due to the coronavirus pandemic. It will now have a limited release in the U.S. on Christmas Day; before a full wide release on January 15.
British-Nigerian actress Cynthia Erivo also gets to star in her own on-screen role as Aretha Franklin in Genius: Aretha. However, the National Geographic biopic had to take a backpedal due to COVID-19. The limited series will now premiere sometime this fall.
