Undeterred by the current suspension of Hollywood productions, showbiz mogul Clive Davis has announced the creative team for a new biopic of gay icon Whitney Houston.
Deadline reports that Davis, who discovered Houston at age 19, will team with director Stella Meghie (of The Photograph fame) to produce I Wanna Dance With Somebody, a film dealing the life and career of Houston. Pat Houston will also produce on behalf of the Whitney Houston estate, meaning that the family of the late singer/actress will also participate in the production. The film will also have access to Houston’s full musical catalog.
Writer Anthony McCarten will pen the script. McCarten has become something of Hollywood’s go-to man for biopics, having scripted The Theory of Everything, Darkest Hour, The Two Popes, and Bohemian Rhapsody. McCarten’s work on the project already heralds awards buzz for the film; three of the four aforementioned films won Oscars for Best Actor, while the other received a nomination.
Related: Robyn Crawford, girlfriend of Whitney Houston, finally speaks
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“From all my personal and professional experience with Whitney from her late teenage years to her tragic premature death, I know the full Whitney Houston story has not yet been told,” Davis said in the announcement. “I am so glad that Anthony McCarten has committed to a no holds barred, musically rich screenplay that finally reveals the whole Whitney whose vocal genius deeply affected the world while she fiercely battled the demons that were to be her undoing.”
The creative team has yet to announce who will play Whitney herself.
Whitney Houston remains the most awarded female artist in history, having snagged six Grammy Awards, 16 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards and two Emmy Awards among various other honors. Despite her success, Houston struggled with personal and substance abuse problems later in her career before her sudden death at age 48 in 2012. Subsequently, friends and family have revealed that the gay icon struggled with her own sexuality throughout her life, having had relationships with both men and women, a fact attested by her ex-husband Bobby Brown and her longtime girlfriend Robin Crawford.
salumbre
Just thinking of Whitney makes me sad. The woman had it all: talent, beauty, and a set of pipes fit for a deity.
I wonder who could possibly play her? That’s a very tall order.
Bob LaBlah
She does have some tall boots to be filled. Jennifer Hudson was the wrong choice for the salute at the Grammy’s when she died or should I say if it just had to be Jennifer then the wrong song was picked. Whomever they pick HAS to be able to sing And I Will Always Love You without her voice cracking.
Troysky
@Bob LaBlah …..so agree about Hudson and that.
Bob LaBlah
I associate her (Jenifer Hudson) more with how she sang in Dream Girls and Hairspray. Unfortunately a few years back some one got a wild hair in the rear and started complaining when we posted youtube videos but if you have a minute go over there and listen to her burn the song Big, Blonde and Beautiful. Now that is the Jennifer Hudson that I love. I listen to that song at least four or five times per week.
Troysky
@Bob LaBlah thanks, i just listened to it……I respect that Hudson nails the spirit of that song, even if that material isn’t my cup-a-tea…Mr Bob, it’s fun to hear you enjoy it ….it might be more interesting to know what music gives you a hard on tho . yeah, i said it.
Jim
Yawn. Let’s move on.
Mister P
Well that leaves Barbra Streisand and I don’t she’s a very good fit for the role.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Like buttah! 🙂
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Anyone wanna lay odds her estate forbids any mention of the Gay stuff?
Bob LaBlah
Considering her mother sang with the gospel group The Sweet Inspiration I wouldn’t be surprised. It would be nice to believe Davis wasn’t holding off on this bio-pic hoping she would pass away before he committed to it but for some reason I just can’t. Davis must have concluded that though she isn’t a spring chicken he ain’t either. I some times wonder if Robin Crawford had the same reasons before she wrote her book. And by the way, her family overall was an absolute MESS, including her cousin Dionne Warwick. She came from a very troubled family and its inconceivable to think they won’t amount to nothing but being in the way during its production.
Donston
I think it’s best to leave Whitney alone for a while. We’ve had multiple books, two documentaries and two eh TV movies. While it’s doubtful her family will green-light a project that genuinely dives into her traumas and struggles and gives her any real dimension.
Troysky
@ Donston that was my first reaction, too, sexy Donston…..some of the hologram stuff on youtube (I just now looked at it), is pretty good though.
Terrycloth
Why not release all of her extended dance mixes..on CD.they missed the boat doing that for Michael Jackson..I’m sure it would sell like crazy
Bob LaBlah
“I’m sure it would sell like crazy”
Only one artist appears to have sold a million records or had one million downloads last year. and that was Taylor Swift. With dismal record sales all across the board it seems unlikely such a special CD will be made but you never know. No matter how great your idea sounds (at least to me) music is a business and if it won’t sell it then doesn’t get made. I honestly don’t remember the last time an artist was praised for selling a million records and getting a gold record for doing it.
Cam
If you thought they straightwashed the Alan Turing story or Bohemian Rhapsody, just wait until this comes out.