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'Respect': Release date, plot, cast, trailer and all you need to know about the Aretha Franklin biopic starring Jennifer Hudson

Husdon already had Franklin’s approval for the role, long before she died. “We have Jennifer Hudson, we have Halle Berry and Audra McDonald. That's the last three. I went to see Audra in Porgy and Bess, and I was very impressed with her dramatic ability. She was terrific,” Franklin said

Aretha Franklin’s legacy is not one that needs anyone to take forward. Yet, if it had to be anyone, Jennifer Hudson is more right than any choice whatsoever.

The upcoming biopic titled ‘Respect’, named after the artist’s iconic 1967 song -- What you want/Baby, I got it/What you need/Do you know I got it?/All I'm askin'/Is for a little respect -- has garnered a tonne of excitement. 

Release date:

According to Rolling Stone magazine, the film is set to open in 2020, although an exact release date has yet to be announced.

Plot:

While no plot for the movie has been hinted so far, a biography of Franklin is likely to include the major landmarks in her life. Her dysfunctional family, her tour with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the age of 16, her rise in the world of music and ultimately, her performing ‘My Country, 'Tis of Thee’ at former president Barack Obama's inaugural ceremony.

According to a Vulture report from 2015, the biopic, which has Franklin’s approval, would focus in equal parts on her singing career and her marriage to abusive manager Ted White.

Cast:

Husdon already had Franklin’s approval for the role, long before she died -- “We have Jennifer Hudson, we have Halle Berry and Audra McDonald. That's the last three. I went to see Audra in Porgy and Bess, and I was very impressed with her dramatic ability. She was terrific,” Franklin said in a Glamour Magazine interview.

The film also stars Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Audra McDonald, Marc Maron, Tituss Burgess, Saycon Sengbloh, Hailey Kilgore, Tate Donovan, Heather Headley, Skye Dakota Turner, and Mary J. Blige. According to the 2012 interview with Glamour magazine, Franklin wanted Denzel Washington or Billy Dee Williams to play her father.

Production:

According to reports, Liesl Tommy, a  noted stage director, will direct ‘Respect’. ‘Straight Outta Compton’ producer Scott Bernstein is also on board.

Trailer:

So far, only one short teaser has been released for the film.  The teaser features Hudson as Franklin, on an empty stage, backlit in brilliant gold, singing “Respect”. Suddenly, someone flips the switch, and the word “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” spells out behind her in giant neon-style letters.

If You Like ‘Respect’, You Will Also Like:

‘Miles Ahead’, ‘Born to be Blue’, ‘Hendrix’, ‘Jersey Boys’ and ‘Love and Mercy’.