Horror May Queen. Deadline confirmed the news on Tuesday, adding that the Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker actress was praised by filmmakers for her impressive ability to embody the late songstress. It sounds like, for the most part, Naomi Ackie will be lip-syncing to Whitney Houston’s vocals for the film, but she’ll be focusing on embodying the star with her acting chops. Ackie is in “final negotiations” with Sony, per Variety. The movie is … Congrats are in order for Naomi Ackie, who will be filling the shoes of the iconic Whitney Houston in the upcoming biopic, I Wanna Dance with Somebody. Naomi is the real deal and I can’t imagine a better choice for this iconic role. "You said forever, now I drive alone past your street. Naomi Ackie is in final negotiations to portray Whitney Houston in Sony's upcoming musical biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody.. Stella Meghie (The Photograph) is directing the film from a screenplay by Bohemian Rhapsody writer Anthony McCarten.I Wanna Dance With Somebody is slated to release at Thanksgiving of 2022. And producer Clive Davis, the mega-music producer behind much of Houston's career, said this: "Naomi Ackie’s screen test was so powerful, it sent shivers up my spine. I was moved by her ability to capture the stage presence of a global icon while bringing humanity to her interior life." Following Bohemian Rhapsody’s world box office tour leading the movie to sing the rare harmony of both major Oscar attention and box office smash success, a ton of music icons are getting the biopic treatment, including Timothée Chalamet portraying Bob Dylan, Zendaya signing on to play Ronnie Spector and Jennifer Hudson’s Aretha Franklin coming in the near future. We've known the writer and director behind this drama, but now, we know who will play Houston herself. Watch: A Bar Full of Dudes Belt Out the “Drivers License” Song in Extremely Funny ‘SNL’ Sketch, Whitney Houston Biopic Taps 'Rise of Skywalker' Star for Lead; Why She's a Great Choice, A Whitney Houston Biopic Is In the Works From the ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ Screenwriter, More After a worldwide search, the London actress has been cast as … The good news is I Wanna Dance With Somebody, the newest biopic, will be produced by people who were extremely close to Whitney. Word webslinger. British-bred actress Naomi Ackie has been cast as the iconic singer in “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” the filmmakers announced Tuesday. Looks like producers behind the upcoming Whitney Houston biopic have found their Whitney! Per THR, British actress Naomi Ackie - … Bohemian Rhapsody writer Anthony … YA genre tribute. Get ready to put The Bodyguard soundtrack back in rotation. The story of one of the biggest music stars of our time is coming to the big screen. “We spent the better part […] “We spent the better part of the last year in an exhaustive search for an actress who could embody Whitney Houston. One producer on the film, Clive Davis, who has also worked on a previous Whitney Houston project, 2012's We Will Always Love You: A Grammy Salute to Whitney Houston, said this: Naomi Ackie’s screen test was so powerful, it sent shivers up my spine. Naomi Ackie has been cast as Whitney Houston in the upcoming biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody.The actress played Jannah in 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.Houston’s legacy is a notoriously tragic one, involving a tremendous rise to fame, followed by a plunge into the dark side of celebrity from which she never recovered. Per Variety, Naomi Ackie will inhabit Whitney Houston for the film — and she is an awesome choice. The go-to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. A new Whitney Houston biopic will be released in 2022. Her estate, producer Clive Davis, and Primary Wave Music have signed off on a … BAFTA winner and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker actress Naomi Ackie has notched the role of Whitney Houston in Sony/TriStar’s biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody, which will be directed by S… Whitney received mixed reviews from critics, with praise going to DaCosta's performance as Houston and Bassett's direction of … She’s playing Whitney Houston in the new musical biopic “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” reports Variety. Directed by Angela Bassett. Celebrity. British star Naomi Ackie wins lead role in Whitney Houston biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody. The upcoming Whitney Houston biopic, ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody,’ has cast ‘Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker’ actress Naomi Ackie as its Whitney Houston. By Annie Goldsmith. These are seriously some exciting words to hear alongside the casting announcement. Whitney Houston is getting the official biopic treatment. A new Whitney Houston biopic will be released in 2022. (Photo by Lester Cohen/WireImage) A “no-holds-barred” biopic of music icon Whitney Houston is in development, with Bohemian Rhapsody screenwriter Anthony McCarten on board to pen the script. English actress Naomi Ackie is … "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" is slated to release at Thanksgiving of 2022. Naomi Ackie impressed us at every stage of the process. British actress Naomi Ackie has been cast to play the iconic diva Whitney Houston in the upcoming authorized biopic, I Wanna Dance … British actor Naomi Ackie will play Whitney Houston in an upcoming biopic about the late singer's life and career. According to Deadline, Naomi … Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. There's been a Whitney Houston biopic in the works for a minute — and now we know … But don't take my word for it! Naomi Ackie impressed us at every stage of the process. The piece also confirms that, unlike this year’s Bowie biopic, Stardust, the film will be incorporating the singer’s catalog, including her vocals. Naomi Ackie is in final negotiations to portray Whitney Houston in Sony's upcoming musical biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody.. Stella Meghie (The Photograph) is directing the film from a screenplay by Bohemian Rhapsody writer Anthony McCarten.I Wanna Dance With Somebody is slated to release at Thanksgiving of 2022. Ackie’s previous work […] The British actress has been cast to play Whitney Houston in the upcoming biopic, titled I Wanna. Whitney Houston’s new biopic “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” just found it’s lead actress. Sony has also been working on a Whitney Houston movie for some time called I Wanna Dance With Somebody, and it’s found its match in a galaxy far, far away. Naomi Ackie will portray Whitney Houston in Sony’s upcoming musical biopic “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” Stella Meghie (“The Photograph”) is directing the film from a screenplay by “Bohemian Rhapsody” writer Anthony McCarten. The breakout Brit played Jannah in 2019’s conclusion of the Skywalker Saga, was also a regular on the second season of Netflix’s The End of the F*ing World and has a role in Amazon’s upcoming Small Axe film Education. This is a huge role for Naomi Ackie to take on, and it's exciting to see her take on such an iconic talent who's still deeply missed following her untimely death in 2012. Naomi Ackie will step into Whitney Houston's shoes for the upcoming Sony musical biopic, I Wanna Dance With Somebody.. On Tuesday (December 15), Variety reported that the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker actress, 28, has been cast for the film’s leading role. The BAFTA winner's casting is the result of an "exhaustive search" over the last year. I Wanna Dance With Somebody is slated for a late 2022 release, so we’ll keep you updated here on CinemaBlend as the movie continues to develop. Pat Houston will also produce the movie, alongside Davis and others. I most recently saw Ackie as Jannah in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and while the rest of that film is, well, "not the best", Ackie immediately stole the screen with her presence, her confidence, and her command of the language of screen acting; her final moments seem to hint at a Jannah-centered spinoff in the Star Wars universe, and I am ready for it. Ackie is a wonderful choice to communicate such an interesting life story. He loves pizza and the Mortal Kombat movie. 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The good news is I Wanna Dance With Somebody, the newest biopic, will be produced by people who were extremely close to Whitney. I Wanna Dance With Somebody will be scripted by Anthony McCarten, who wrote Freddie Mercury film Bohemian Rhapsody. Still, it sounds like the filmmakers really put a lot of tender love and care into finding the actress to front I Wanna Dance With Somebody, and Ackie really impressed. 28-year-old Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker actress Naomi Ackie has been cast as Whitney Houston in the film, which is expected to be released over the … Sony’s upcoming Whitney Houston biopic, I Wanna Dance with Somebody, has finally found its leading star. She’s playing Whitney Houston in the new musical biopic “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” reports Variety. Whitney is a 2015 American biographical film directed by Angela Bassett based on American recording artist Whitney Houston and her turbulent marriage to R&B artist Bobby Brown that premiered on Lifetime in North America on January 17, 2015. The project, which is scheduled to be released on Thanksgiving 2022, will be directed by Stella Meghie from … Stella Meghie ("The Photograph") is directing the film from a screenplay by "Bohemian Rhapsody" writer Anthony McCarten. 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An in-depth look at the life and music of Whitney Houston. I was moved by her ability to capture the stage presence of a global icon while bringing humanity to her interior life. Filmmakers for the highly anticipated Whitney Houston biopic I Wanna Dance with Somebody have officially cast their lead.. Naomi Ackie to Play Whitney Houston in New Biopic, I Wanna Dance With Somebody. Naomi Ackie is about to tackle the position of a lifetime. The film will be written by Anthony McCarten, who wrote the screenplay for Bohemian Rhapsody which garnered Rami Malek an Oscar win for the leading role of Freddie Mercury. After the controversy over the Lifetime Whitney, I didn’t think anyone would go near another movie about Whitney for at least a decade.But here we are. Whitney Houston biopic 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody': Release date, plot, cast and all you need to know 'A joyous, emotional and heart-breaking celebration of the life and music of the greatest female R&B pop vocalist of all time, … Although Whitney’s incomparable vocals are used for all the songs, Naomi’s extraordinary acting range enables her to masterfully capture Whitney’s unique charm, star power and, of course, her personal struggles. Actress Naomi Ackie just landed a major role! The story of Whitney Houston, one of our greatest musicians who's ever lived, will be told on the big screen in the upcoming biopic I Wanna Dance with Somebody, the title of which is, of course, inspired by one of her greatest songs.