VideoWatch Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin in Teaser Trailer for RespectThe Broadway alum, Oscar winner, and Cats star leads the upcoming biopic from Liesl Tommy, which will also feature Audra McDonald and Heather Headley.
By
Ryan McPhee
December 20, 2019
Hot on the kitten heels of the release of the Cats movie, Jennifer Hudson goes from Grizabella’s torn garb to the glitz of Aretha Franklin. Watch the teaser for the Oscar winner’s star turn as the Queen of Soul in the biopic Respect above. The first look offers a taste of Hudson's knockout rendition of the title anthem.
The film, directed by Tony nominee Liesl Tommy and penned by Tracey Scott Wilson, will also feature Tony winners Audra McDonald and Heather Headley as Franklin’s mother Barbara and gospel singer Clara Ward, respectively, as well as stage veterans Forest Whitaker, Saycon Sengbloh, Hailey Kilgore, and Tituss Burgess, as well as Mary J. Blige and current Tina standout Skye Dakota Turner.
Hudson, who earned an Oscar for Dreamgirls, made her Broadway debut in 2015 in The Color Purple. The following year, she appeared as Motormouth Maybelle in NBC’s Hairspray Live!.
Respect will be released in 2020. Meanwhile, a separate Franklin-focused project is in the works with Hudson's Color Purple co-star Cynthia Erivo. National Geographic Genius: Aretha is slated to debut in the spring.
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