The life of music legendAretha Franklinis on its way to the big screen inRespect, and today, Metro Goldwyn Mayer announced the rest of the cast. Joining Academy Award-winnerJennifer Hudsonas the Queen of Soul, will be Academy Award, Golden Globe and Emmy-winnerForest Whitaker(The Last King of Scotland),Marlon Wayans(Requiem for a Dream),Marc Maron(Joker,Glow),Tate Donovan(Argo), and Emmy nomineeTituss Burgess(Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt). The film will also star Grammy winnersMary J. BligeandAudra McDonald, and Tony nomineesSaycon SengblohandHailey Kilgore.
Franklin, who passed away on August 24, 2025, had personally hand-picked Hudson to portray her. The film will track her journey from singing in her father’s church as a child, to her meteoric rise to international fame.
MGM is hoping to follow the success of recent music biographies,Bohemian RhapsodyandRocketman. The former won four Oscars, including Best Actor forRami MalekasFreddie Mercury. It was also nominated for Best Picture.
Respect, the first authorized feature film based on Franklin’s life, will be helmed by television directorLiesl Tommy(Insecure,The Walking Dead,Jessica Jones). The project marks her feature debut. The script was written byThe Americansscribe,Tracey Scott Wilson.
Tommy said this of Respect:
“I am thrilled with the incredibly talented cast we have assembled for our film, and I’m so proud that Ms. Franklin entrusted us to tell her story and to share it with the world. As a storyteller, hers is the kind of story we all dream of telling. Her music has inspired me since I was a little girl, and the milestones of her life and career have shown us all how to strive and thrive. To have this powerhouse group of actors - and the phenomenal talent of Jennifer Hudson in this iconic role - means we have the chance of making this film as transcendent as her glorious life and legacy.”
Check out a breakdown of the cast and their roles below:
Music legends will be played by:
Scott Bernstein(Straight Outta Compton,The Turning) and Grammy nominated music producerHarvey Mason Jr. will produce the flick.
Bernstein and Mason Jr. were honored to have known Aretha, saying this of her and the project:
“We were given the rare privilege to work with Ms. Franklin directly to curate the stories she most wanted to share and the moments in her life that made her who she was. Over the years, she imparted to us how important it was to her that we share her story on the big screen and how important it was to have Jennifer in this role. To have that kind of deeply personal trust and insight from Ms. Franklin was nothing short of amazing for everyone involved.”
Fans of Aretha can look forward to such classics as “Respect,” “I Say A Little Prayer,” “Dr. Feelgood,” just to name a few, which the movie will exclusively feature.
