While we still don't really have theaters back up and running and the summer movie season seems to be pretty much a bust, we can at least look towards the future. One movie that I had been looking forward in seeing as soon as it was announced was the bio-pic on the legendary Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin who passed away in 2018.
And after a forty-four second preview had been dropped last December, we are given a slightly longer peek at "Respect" which stars Academy-Award winner, Jennifer Hudson who had been hand selected by the Queen herself following some less likely suggestions to play her (uh, Halle Berry?). This project has long been in development and it is finally ready to hit the big screen in December.
Directed by Liesl Tommy (the Tony Award winning theater director making his feature-film debut), the movie covers the life of Franklin from her childhood as the daughter of the Rev. C. L. Franklin (played by Forest Whitaker) to her achieving worldwide acclaim and success as one of the greatest voices in popular music. And the supporting cast is impressive with six-time Tony winner, Audra McDonald playing Franklin's mother, Barbara Siggers Franklin; another Tony winner, Heather Headley as gospel artist, Clara Ward who was a great inspiration for Franklin; Marlon Wayans as Ted White, Franklin's first husband and manager; Marc Maron as Jerry Wexler, the producer who helped turn Franklin's fledgling career around and Mary J. Blige as jazz vocalist, Dinah Washington who was another idol to Franklin.
"Respect" is due in U.S. theaters on
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