Jennifer Hudson is taking on the role of Aretha Franklin — and she’s started dressing the part for the the Queen of Soul’s upcoming biopic Respect.
The singer/actress was spotted on set in New York City, wearing a retro bun, burnt-orange tweed coat and blue floral dress and kissing her co-star Marlon Wayans, who plays Frankin’s first husband, Ted White.
The film also stars Forest Whitaker as the legendary singer’s father C. L. Franklin, Mary J. Blige as “Queen of the Blues” Dinah Washington, Audra McDonald as her mother Barbara Siggers Franklin, Hailey Kilgore as her sister Carolyn Franklin, and Marc Maron as Atlantic Records producer and Billboard alum Jerry Wexler.
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Although Hudson was announced to play Franklin last year, the late singer/songwriter had cherry-picked her back in 2016, as confirmed in an interview with People. “I’ve talked to the person that is going to play me,” Franklin said at the time. “I’m not going to say who I chose, but I’ve talked to her and she’s ready and I’m happy with her.”
Respect will hit theaters on Aug. 14, 2020.
First images of Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin in RESPECT (with Marlon Wayans) pic.twitter.com/rOpMeJerjg
— Erik Anderson (@awards_watch) November 7, 2019