Naomi Ackie takes the spotlight in the Whitney Houston biopic trailer
The very first Whitney Houston biopic trailer for I Wanna Dance With Somebody has been released by Sony Pictures, starring Naomi Ackie as Whitney Houston and Stanley Tucci as Clive Davis. Reports previously stated that the film was set to release on Thanksgiving weekend, but it’s been confirmed to arrive in theaters on December 21.
The focus of the Whitney Houston biopic trailer is the iconic singer’s ascent to fame following Davis’ discovery of Houston. Sony Pictures describes the film as a “no-holds-barred portrait of the complex and multifaceted woman behind The Voice.” It tells the tale of a New Jersey choir girl who rose to fame as one of history’s best selling and most honorable recording artists.
British actress Naomi Ackie is well known for her role as Jannah in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, as well as Hazel in Small Axe.
“We spent the better part of the last year in an exhaustive search for an actress who could embody Whitney Houston,” said former director Stella Meghie. “Naomi Ackie impressed us at every stage of the process. I was moved by her ability to capture the stage presence of a global icon while bringing humanity to her interior life.”
Memorable events from Houston’s life are included in the Whitney Houston biopic trailer, including her debut performance on stage, meeting her manager Clive Davis, her marriage to Bobby Brown, and her outstanding performance of the “Star Spangled Banner” at the Super Bowl in 1997.
We also get a glimpse at how Houston reacts boldly when she’s informed her music t “isn’t Black enough”. “Look, I don’t know how to sing Black, and I don’t know how to sing white either. I know how to sing,” Whitney responds.
I Wanna Dance With Somebody comes after Kevin Macdonald’s Whitney, a 2018 documentary that was nominated for a Grammy for Best Music Film. Written by Anthony McCarten (Bohemian Rhapsody) and produced by Clive Davis himself, the Kasi Lemmons-directed film comes eight years following Houston’s passing in 2012. Houston was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2020.