We’ve had definitive biopics on legendary Black soul artists like James Brown (“Get On Up“), Miles Davis (“Miles Ahead“), Tina Turner (“What’s Love Got To Do With It“), and Ray Charles (“Ray“). And while she’s appeared in many films and there have been documentaries made about her, there’s never really been a definitive movie biopic about the Queen of Soul, at least one that’s stuck in the collective conscious. That may change with “Respect,” due in theaters August 13 via MGM and starring Academy Award-winner Jennifer Hudson, who plays the iconic singer. The movie is set in Franklin’s heyday, and before she became known as the renowned Queen of Soul, she needed to find her voice first.
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Here’s the synopsis:
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Following the rise of Aretha Franklin’s career from a child singing in her father’s church’s choir to her international superstardom, RESPECT is the remarkable true story of the music icon’s journey to find her voice.
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Directed by Liesl Tommy (known for directing the Broadway production of Danai Gurira‘s “Eclipsed” (2017), the “Respect” screenplay comes from playwright Tracey Scott Wilson. On top of Jennifer Hudson as Franklin, the cast stars Forest Whitaker, Audra McDonald, Saycon Sengbloh, Hailey Kilgore, Brenda Nicole Moorer, Marlon Wayans, Marc Maron, Tituss Burgess, Kimberly Scott, LeRoy McClain, and Tate Donovan. Delayed several times due to COVID-19 shutdowns, “Respect” is now due in theaters August 13. Watch the new trailer below.