We've all saved our love for Whitney Houston. Although she's known as "The Voice," the late singer's impact transcends her powerhouse vocals. A six-time GRAMMY winner, Houston's soulful music still resonates with hearts today — and now, her legacy and influence is being celebrated on the big screen.
Aptly named I Wanna Dance With Somebody, the Sony Pictures Entertainment film details Houston's life from her Newark upbringing to the height of her iconic career. The film, set for release later this year, aims to help audiences "discover the Whitney you never knew," according to the new trailer.
Here's everything we know about the Whitney Houston biopic, I Wanna Dance With Somebody, so far.
The trailer arrived Sept. 15.
Sony Pictures Entertainment released the film's official trailer on Sep. 15. The lively two-minute clip flashes with scenes that suggest the film isn't just about Houston's life, but about how her music changed expectations of genre within culture and the industry. As the trailer's YouTube description teases, "The greatest voice of our time has an even greater story."
The film will hit theaters on Dec. 21, 2022.
As the trailer revealed, I Wanna Dance With Somebody will arrive "exclusively in theaters" on Dec. 21 this year — just in time for the holiday season.
It comes from the writer of Bohemian Rhapsody.
I Wanna Dance With Somebody is Anthony McCarten's latest screenwriting project. A renowned writer and filmmaker, McCarten is best known for his biopic screenwriting. And there's no doubt he'll do Houston justice: McCarten is the screenwriter behind the 2018 Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, which as of press time is the highest-grossing music biopic of all time.
Naomi Ackie will play Whitney Houston.
The English actress is known best for playing Bonnie in the dark comedy television series The End of the F—ing World. She also gained wider recognition for her roles as Jannah in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) and as Alicia in the third season of Netflix's comedy-drama “Master of None.”
Beyond her lead role in I Wanna Dance With Somebody, she'll later star in Zoë Kravitz's directorial debut Pussy Island as well as Bong Joon-ho's science fiction film Mickey7.
The film features quite a few big names besides Ackie.
Spotlight star Stanley Tucci will play Clive Davis, Moonlight's Ashton Sanders will portray Houston's ex-husband Bobby Brown, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" actress Tamara Tunie is Houston's mother Cissy, Harriet actor Clarke Peters is Houston's dad John, and "Black Lightning" star Nafessa Williams is Houston's "sister she never had," Robyn Crawford.
The film is produced by five-time GRAMMY Award winner Clive Davis.
Music executive Clive Davis produced the biopic, along with executive Larry Mestel on behalf of Primary Wave Music. As the film's trailer shows, Davis discovered Houston in a nightclub and helped sign her to Arista Records when she was 19. Primary Wave Music is an independent music publishing company that is a partner of the Whitney Houston estate.
Kasi Lemmons is directing it.
Kasi Lemmons is known for directing 2019's Harriet, which starred Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom, Jr. and Janelle Monáe. I Wanna Dance With Somebody is Lemmons' first foray into the musical biopic world, but a full-circle moment for the director.
"Early in my writing career I developed two projects for Whitney, and I had the opportunity to meet her," Lemmons told Deadline last year. "She was a tremendous, incomparable artist, and her story is as awe-inspiring as it is tragic. I feel privileged to be part of bringing her life story and music to the audience."
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