Whitney Houston is getting the official biopic treatment. Her estate, producer Clive Davis, and Primary Wave Music have signed off on a feature film portraying the late singer’s life and iconic music, Deadline reported Wednesday. The working title? I Wanna Dance with Somebody, named after Houston’s famous 1987 hit.
Although the film still appears to be in its early stages—the cast and release date have yet to be determined—some big players already seem to be joining the team. Deadline reported that Stella Meghie, who directed 2020’s The Photograph starring Issa Rae and LaKeith Stanfield, is in negotiations to helm the biopic.
Screenwriter Anthony McCarten is writing the script and producing. Well-versed in biopic films, his credits include The Two Popes, Darkest Hour, Bohemian Rhapsody, and The Theory of Everything, which all either won Oscars or earned nods.
The singer’s sister-in-law and manager, Pat Houston, will be producing the film. She was previously involved with the 2018 Whitney documentary, as she allowed Oscar-winning documentarian Kevin Macdonald access to the star’s archive.
As for the plot, producers told Deadline that they aim to make a “joyous, emotional and heart-breaking celebration of the life and music of the greatest female R&B pop vocalist of all time, tracking her journey from obscurity to musical superstardom. While being very frank about the price that super-stardom exacted, it will be both the rich and complex saga of the search for the perfect marriage between song and singer and audience, and at the same time the moving tale of a simple Jersey girl trying to find her way back home.”
From Harper’s Bazaar US
