Respect | release date, Aretha Franklin biopic cast, songs, news | Radio Times

It’s been a long wait for the film, which has been hit by many pandemic-related delays, but it looks like the latest UK release date will stick, meaning it’s only a month away from release. the movie hits theaters.

The film charts the life and career of Aretha, with Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Audra McDonald and Mary J Blige in the supporting cast, and Husdon has said playing the lead feels like “fate.”

“When I look back on my career, Aretha was the model for everything,” she said in a recent news report clip. “it’s like fate in a way.”

Directed by Liesl Tommy and written by Tracey Scott Wilson, the MGM film will follow Franklin from humble beginnings in his father’s church choir to becoming a chart-topping musical legend.

Here’s everything you need to know about Respect, when it’s coming to UK cinemas and who’s leading the cast.

respect the release date of the film

Confirmed: Respect will now land in US theaters on August 13, 2021. Universal has now confirmed that the UK release date is September 10, 2021 .

The film was originally released on August 14, 2020, however, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the film’s arrival date has been pushed back to January 15, 2021, prior to further delay, which was announced in October 2020.

Hopefully now that UK cinemas are allowed to reopen, respect won’t be delayed any longer.

respect the plot

This biopic tells the story of legendary American singer-songwriter Aretha Franklin (Jennifer Hudson) as she tries to find her voice in 1960s America and make her mark on the music industry.

Directed by insecure and and jessica jones’liesl tommy, the film follows the rise of franklin’s soul career “from a little girl singing in her father’s church choir, to international stardom.”

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while mgm has given us just a glimpse of oscar-winning actress jennifer hudson as the singer of i say a little pray, judging by the trailer, we can expect to see the dreamgirls star belt out some of the biggest hits franklin throughout the film.

audra macdonald, who plays aretha’s mother in the film, has revealed that the film will delve into the darkest moments in the soul singer’s life, which might surprise some viewers who have grown up listening to her voice. .

“It’s part of the African-American culture: If you’re a certain age, Aretha was in your house in some way, shape or form. I don’t remember my life without her voice,” Macdonald told Entertainment Weekly. “So I don’t want to say that I was surprised by what I learned, but in a way it made sense because the depth to which he reaches to the bottom of his soul, to the bottom of his toes when he sings, that has to come from someone. who has known it all: known joy, known sorrow, known absolute pain and sorrow.”

hudson added: “I think [aretha] grew her shield, her wall, at a very young age, and the way she found to express herself was through her music. that was the way out of it.”

To learn more, read everything we know about the true story of respect.

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respect trailer

Yes, a trailer for the film dropped in May, starting with a younger Aretha getting a singing lesson and teasing several key moments in her career from childhood to superstar status.

the trailer is soundtracked by some of aretha’s most classic hits, with think, respect and (you make me feel like) a natural woman, all featured in the two and a half minute clip. check it out below.

Most recently, MGM released an article where Jennifer Hudson talks about playing the legend that is Aretha Franklin and we get a behind-the-scenes look at the filming.

and a short clip was released in early august featuring a sneak peek of hudson performing aretha’s most famous song: respect. you can see it below.

The first trailer for Respect debuted at the BET Awards on June 29, 2020, teasing fans with a clip of Hudson singing one of Franklin’s best-known hits (from which the film gets its title) and while showing to Mary J. blige, marlon wayans and marc maron in their supporting roles.

The trailer also shows Hudson uttering one of Franklin’s most famous lines: “You have to disturb the peace, when you can’t get the peace.”

I respect the cast

Jennifer Hudson from dreamgirls plays the queen of soul and seems to use her academy award-winning voice throughout.

Respect also features Forest Whitaker (The Tears Game, Black Panther) as Baptist minister and civil rights activist CL Franklin, while Marlon Wayans (Scary Movie franchise, White Girls) stars as the first franklin’s husband, ted white.

Broadway legend Audra McDonald (Beauty and the Beast, The Good Wife) stars as Franklin’s mother Barbara, and she is joined by Marc Maron (Glow, Joker) as music producer Jerry Wexler, Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) as songwriter James Cleveland and Mary J. blige as singer dinah washington.

Other cast members include Tate Donovan (Hercules, The Oc), Heath Headley, Kimberley Scott, Saycon Sengbloh, and Hailey Kilgore.

respect soundtrack

carole king and jennifer hudson have teamed up on an original song together out of respect called here i am (singing my way home). the song will be the only original track on the film’s soundtrack. here i am was co-written by jamie hartman and produced by will.i.am.

The new track will be released on Friday, June 18, and the full soundtrack will follow on August 13, the same day as the film’s US release.

hudson said: “music is a character that lives and breathes in this film, as it was in the life of mrs. franklin.

“the process of creating this song was like building the greatest tribute I could offer to his spirit. it was the last breath of this extraordinary project and I let it go with total satisfaction. being able to do it with carole and jamie was an incredible privilege “.

of course, king wrote (you make me feel like) a natural woman with his songwriting partner, gerry coffin, which franklin covered, which means king has come full circle.

king said: “I’m so glad to have not just one, but two songs as part of the respect soundtrack: the 21st century song here I am (singing my way home) and my 20th century co-write with gerry goffin, (you make me feel like) a natural woman.”

Respect will be released in UK cinemas on September 10, 2021. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our handy TV guide.