Saturday evening at Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammys gala, the music mogul announced that Jennifer Hudson will play Aretha Franklin in an upcoming biopic on the music icon’s life.
Hudson was reportedly hand-picked by Franklin herself.
Additionally, Deadline is reporting that MGM is in talks to acquire the rights to the biopic and will finance it. Scott Berenstein (Straight Outta Compton) and Harvey Mason, Jr. (who produced the music for Dreamgirls) are set to produce. Directors and script writers should be circling soon.
Hudson, who won an Oscar, Golden Globe and SAG Award for Best Supporting Actress in Dreamgirls, stars with Jeffrey Wright and Kelvin Harrison, Jr. in Monster, which recently bowed at Sundance.