'Genius: Aretha': Live stream, release date, plot, cast, trailer and all you need to know on Nat Geo's eight-part series
All hail the Queen. The 'Queen of Soul 'of Aretha Franklin will be celebrated in the appropriately titled 'Genius: Aretha' on National Geographic. The eight-part series will cover the life of musician and civil rights leader Aretha Franklin. However, all are not pleased with 'Genius: Aretha'.
Aretha Franklin's son Kecalf Franklin says the family does not support the project. He has said that the project was pushed through without their consent. He has also asked fans not to support the series.
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Suzan-Lori Parks, the writer and executive producer of the film, responded, "As the showrunner of 'Genius: Aretha,' I can tell you that every single day (and twice on Sunday!) — through COVID, social unrest, and every other challenge we faced — our intention was to respect Ms Franklin in every aspect of our show and in every decision we made. As ‘The Queen,’ she is deserving of every single celebration of her life that the world can muster. We worked with many people who knew Ms Franklin — from Clive Davis to representatives of her family’s estate — to make sure we told her story in an honest and authentic way. And, on a personal note, as a Black American woman, I was taught at a very young age that soul is universal. Our series is all about soul, and we are honoring the life and soul of Aretha Franklin.”
It now remains to be seen if 'Genius: Aretha' will, in fact, do justice to the brilliant musician's inspiring legacy.
Release date
'Genius: Aretha' will premiere on March 21 on National Geographic, and two new episodes will air on the following three days. All episodes will be available for streaming on Hulu the day after their Nat Geo debuts.
Plot
'Genius: Aretha' will explore not just Aretha Franklin's musical genius, but also the fact that she was an outspoken champion of civil rights. Aretha Franklin, who didn't know how to read music, taught herself to play the piano and went onto become one of the world's bestselling musical artists with more than 75 million records sold globally during her career. Aretha Franklin is widely considered to be the greatest singer of the past 50 years and 'Genius: Aretha' will focus on the lasting legacy she has had on music and culture across the world. These inspiring facets of Aretha Franklin's life will form the plot of 'Genius: Aretha'.
Cast
Cynthia Erivo
Cynthia Erivo is an English actress, singer and songwriter, who took Hollywood by storm with her portrayal of abolitionist Harriet Tubman in the biopic 'Harriet' in 2019, receiving Academy Award nominations for Best Actress and Best Original Song.
She gained recognition for starring in the Broadway revival of 'The Color Purple' from 2015 to 2017, for which she won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, among others. She ventured into films in 2018, with roles in the heist film 'Widows' and the thriller 'Bad Times at the El Royale'.
Courtney B Vance
Courtney B Vance is perhaps best-known for his performance as Johnny Cochran in 'American Crime Story: The People vs OJ Simpson' for which he received the Primetime Emmy Award for Oustanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. He also recently appeared in the HBO television film 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks'. Besides this, he is also known for working in TV show 'Law & Order: Criminal Intent', where he played Assistant District Attorney Ron Carver.
Creators
Anthony Hemingway is the director and executive producer of 'Genius: Aretha'. Suzan-Lori Parks is the head writer and executive producer. Other Executive Producers include Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Clive Davis and Craig Kallman.
Where to watch
'Genius: Aretha' will premiere on March 21 on National Geographic. All episodes will be available for streaming on Hulu the day after their Nat Geo debuts.
Trailer
Get a glimpse of the woman behind the Queen of Soul, in this trailer of 'Genius: Aretha'.
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