Jennifer Hudson Drops Teaser For Upcoming Aretha Franklin Biopic
It’s been over a year since the late Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, passed away at the age of 76 in August 2018.
But before her passing, the beloved soulstress had already hand-chosen American Idol alum and acclaimed R&B songstress Jennifer Hudson to play as her in the soul icon’s highly-anticipated biographical feature film, Respect.
Considering that Franklin was one of music’s most renowned and acclaimed voices even up until her death, many people have been looking forward to a biopic on the soul icon’s life story. Suffice to say, Hudson has big shoes to fill, but if the most recent film preview is anything to go by, respect is warranted for the Oscar winner and two-time Grammy winner.
On Friday (Dec. 20), JHud gave us a first look in her role as the soul singer for the MGM-produced movie. The R&B-soul songstress posted a 30-second teaser to Twitter on Friday (Dec. 20). “Much R.E.S.P.E.C.T to the Queen of Soul,” she penned in the post’s caption.
In the snippet, Hudson (dressed in a sparkly gold dress reminiscent of the ‘70s era) is bathed in gold light on an empty stage as she powerfully belts out an acapella version of Franklin’s soul-stirring 1967 classic, “Respect.” The camera then zooms out to reveal the film’s title that lights up in big letters as Hudson’s voice cries out in the background.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the movie will follow Franklin's rise to fame, from her beginnings in her father's choir to her ascent and reign as the chart-topping Queen of Soul. The cast includes a star-studded ensemble comprised of Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Audra McDonald, Mary J. Blige, Marc Maron, Tate Donovan, and Tituss Burgess.
Franklin was majorly involved with the development of her film up until her death, so it’s a momentous occasion to see her vision come to life. Respect is set to open in theaters on October 9, 2020, according to THR.
See the trailer for yourself below.
