There was no one quite like The Queen of Soul.
Aretha Franklin’s influence on the music industry is completely undeniable. A renowned performer, her songs have concreted their place in the book of greats for decades to come. Now, her life is being adapted into a feature film – Respect.
Taking on Aretha will be Jennifer Hudson, an acclaimed performer in her own right. After competing on American Idol, Jennifer made her film debut as Effie White in the film adaptation of Dreamgirls, winning her Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA and SAG awards for Best Supporting Actress. She made her Broadway Debut as Shug Avery in The Color Purple in 2015, and has also starred in Hairspray Live as Motormouth Maybelle, and the newly released Cats film as Grizabella.
The film will also feature some familiar Broadway names, such as Audra McDonald, Saycon Sengbloh, Hayley Kilgore, and Tituss Burgess. The remaining cast includes Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Mary J. Blige, Marc Maron, Tate Donovan, Kimberley Scott, and Lodric D. Collins.
Check out the first teaser for Respect below.
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