Respect is moving down the release calendar.
Deadline is reporting that MGM’s Aretha Franklin biopic, which stars Jennifer Hudson, will now get a limited release debut on Christmas Day, followed by a full release on January 15, 2021. It was originally set to come out on October 7, this year, but has moved amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The film is expected to be an awards season player and given the current Hollywood shutdown, a Christmas release isn’t that surprising as the calendar shifts.
As the very first authorized feature film based on Franklin’s life, it will be directed by Liesl Tommy and is written by Tracey Scott Wilson.
Respect‘s all-star cast also includes Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Audra McDonald, Mary J. Blige, Marc Maron, Tituss Burgess, Saycon Sengbloh, Hailey Kilgore, Heather Headley, Tate Donovan and Skye Dakota Turner. Hudson was handpicked to star by Franklin before her death.
The songs that will be exclusively featured in the film include Respect; I Say A Little Prayer; Think; (You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman; You’ve Got A Friend; Dr. Feelgood; Do Right Woman, Do Right Man; Spanish Harlem; and Young, Gifted and Black. The film will also feature Ain’t No Way; Precious Lord; There’s A Fountain Filled With Blood; Amazing Grace; and Chain of Fools.
Source: Shadow & Act
