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The "Queen of Soul" Aretha Franklin's biopic, Respect, will be released on August 13 (Friday). The singer-songwriter would be portrayed by Dreamgirls (2006) star Jennifer Hudson. The movie was reported to have been in development for almost 15 years.
Aretha chose Hudson to portray her in the film, and the latter told CNN:
"I think she saw something in me. I would not have been able to go as deep as I did to tell the story honestly without my own life experiences. So, I think she saw that in me, as well as everything else as far as being an actress and a singer."
Respect is named after Aretha Franklin's hit Grammy-winning 1967 song of the same name. Otis Redding originally sang the song in 1965.
Aretha Franklin's biopic, Respect: Streaming and release details, runtime, and cast
The film will explore Aretha Franklin's journey to superstardom and global glory, from her humble beginning in singing for her father's church choir. Respect will also showcase the struggles of Aretha with racism and misogyny.
Theatrical release
The Aretha Franklin biopic will be released globally on August 13. Most countries where COVID restrictions regarding theater viewings are lifted will see the film release on Friday, while Portugal, Hungary, and Slovakia will get to watch Respect from August 12.
Meanwhile, UAE, Australia, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia will wait until August 19. The UK and Ireland will have the film release on September 9.
Streaming release
No streaming release date or window has been released yet. The movie being produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and distributed internationally by Universal (Sony) might hint at an Amazon Prime release for streaming. Amazon acquired MGM in May, which might give the streaming service first dibs on the property.
However, the exact date for the streaming release of Aretha Franklin's biopic Respect cannot be predicted.
Main cast
Respect will star Oscar-winning singer and actress Jennifer Hudson (of Smash fame). Meanwhile, Oscar winner Forest Whitaker (of 2018's Black Panther fame) plays Aretha's father, CL Franklin.
Additional cast includes Audra McDonald as Aretha's mother, Barbara, Saycon Sengbloh as Erma (Aretha's elder sister), Hailey Kilgore as Carolyn (Aretha's younger sister), and Marlon Wayans as Aretha's ex-husband Ted White.
The film is directed by Liesl Tommy, known for directing an episode of the Marvel/Netflix series Jessica Jones. Respect is written by Callie Khouri and Tracey Scott Wilson.
Furthermore, Aretha Franklin was associated with the production herself until she died in 2018.
