Jennifer Hudson just finished the production of the Aretha Franklin biographical film Respect, and the singer-actress is overwhelmed, to say the least, having the honor of portraying the Queen of Soul on the big screen.
Hudson went to Instagram and posted that she has wrapped up and they have finished production for Respect. The singer added that she was overwhelmed by emotion and that words could never express how grateful she is for being cast to play Franklin in the upcoming film.
The singer-actress posted a second time with a bunch of behind-the-scenes photos on the Respect set, captioning the pics directed at the cast and crew members who have put their heart and soul into the production. Hudson expressed her gratitude by saying it was a pleasure and a joy to have been able to have the opportunity to work with everyone involved in the film.
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During a previous interview with Stephen Colbert last December on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the singer-actress shared that Franklin herself handpicked Hudson to play her in the biopic way back in 2007 after Hudson won the Oscar for Dreamgirls. Franklin pulled the trigger on the casting back in 2015 during the Broadway revival of The Color Purple.
Aretha Franklin passed away in August of 2018 due to pancreatic cancer at the age of 76. The Queen of Soul had a long and celebrated career, having won 18 Grammy Awards, and was nominated a staggering 44 times. April of last year saw Franklin making history as the first individual woman to have been honored for a Pulitzer citation award. Pulitzer released a press statement announcing that Franklin was selected posthumously for her indelible contribution to American music for over 50 years. Franklin joined the likes of Bob Dylan and John Coltrane who have also been awarded the citation.
Respect will follow Franklin’s life from being a singer in her father’s church to transforming into one of the most well-known and impactful figures in music history.
The film is scheduled to be released on October 9 this year in the United States and is a biographical drama on the life of Aretha Franklin and has Hudson star as the Queen of Soul herself. The cast also boasts a great collection of actors such as award-winning actor Forest Whitaker, comedian Marlon Wayans, R&B savant Mary J. Blige, comedian Marc Maron, Audra McDonald, Tate Donovan, among others.
Liesl Tommy directed the film from Tracey Scott Wilson’s script and will be released under MGM.