Naomi Ackie is absolutely dazzling as Whitney Houston in the trailer for I Wanna Dance With Somebody, the new biopic about the iconic late pop singer from Sony Pictures Releasing.
Directed by Kasi Lemmons (Harriet, Eve’s Bayou), written by Academy Award nominee Anthony McCarten (Bohemian Rhapsody, Darkest Hour), and produced by famed music executive Clive Davis — who is played by Stanley Tucci in the movie — the trailer for I Wanna Dance With Somebody gives us a joyful look at Houston’s life and music.
“From New Jersey choir girl to one of the best-selling and most awarded recording artists of all time, audiences are taken on an inspirational, poignant—and so emotional—journey through Houston’s trailblazing life and career, with show-stopping performances and a soundtrack of the icon’s most beloved hits as you’ve never heard them before,” reads the description from Sony.
The trailer follows Ackie as Houston from the time she got discovered while singing with her mother’s band to when she sang her famous rendition of the Star Spangled Banner at Superbowl XXV in 1991.
At one point in the trailer, a radio DJ tells Houston that some listeners have criticized her because her music “isn’t Black enough.”
“Look, I don’t know how to sing Black, and I don’t know how to sing white, either,” Houston replies.
In addition to her 1987 hit “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” Houston is also known for “I’m Every Woman,” “I Have Nothing,” and her cover of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.”
Ackie is a very accomplished actress, known for Master of None, The End of the F—ing World, and Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker.
In addition to directing, Lemmons is also an accomplished actress, having appeared in Silence of the Lambs, Candy Man, and Vampire’s Kiss.
In addition to Ackie and Tucci, other cast members in I Wanna Dance With Somebody include Ashton Sanders, Tamara Tunie, Nafessa Williams, and Clarke Peters.
I Wanna Dance With Somebody arrives in theaters on Dec. 26.
Main Image: Naomi Ackie as Whitney Houston in I Wanna Dance With Somebody courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing UK.
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