New York City
Liesl Tommy will direct the film.
According to published reports, MGM has set a date of August 14, 2020 for the release of its Aretha Franklin biopic, Respect.
The film is expected to star Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson (The Color Purple) as the Queen of Soul. Written by Callie Khouri, the film will be directed by Tony nominee Liesl Tommy.
Respect will chronicle the life of the "Queen of Soul," from singing as a child in the church where her father was a minister, to becoming a superstar and civil rights activist. She became the most charted female artist in Billboard's history, won 18 Grammy Awards, and in 1987 became the first female performer to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.