Before Aretha Franklin passed away in 2018, she endorsed one worthy Jellicle cat actor to portray her in an eventual biopic. That performer was, naturally, Jennifer Hudson, whose proven Oscars bona fides and powerful voice set the movie up for success. Respect released a full trailer today, promising a theatrical release date in August, pushed back from its originally slated January premiere. The trailer will feel familiar to anyone who has ever watched a musical biopic, except that the cast looks particularly phenomenal: Audra McDonald as young Re’s mom, Forest Whitaker in hats, and Marc Maron basically re-creating the Marvin Berry scene from Back to the Future.
All We’re Asking Is for You to Watch Jennifer Hudson As Aretha Franklin
