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Jennifer Hudson blew us away with her turn as Effie White in Dreamgirls, and apparently, we weren’t the only ones: The Grammy and Oscar winner has just been announced as the lead in an upcoming musical biopic, and she was hand-chosen for the part by the RL star behind the film.
Dubbed the Queen of Soul, the film will see Hudson, 36, taking on the role of the great Aretha Franklin!
The news was revealed last night by iconic record producer Clive Davis at his annual pre-Grammy party. After the American Idol alum took to the stage to perform a few songs (including a couple of the 75-year-old diva’s biggest hits, including “Think” and “Respect,”) Davis confirmed the upcoming project to the A-list crowd, with everyone from Katie Holmes and Jamie Foxx to Beyoncé and Jay Z looking on.
Davis also revealed that powerhouse singer was chosen by Franklin herself to portray her on the big screen, and honestly, we couldn’t think of a better fit!
As Deadline also learned, the biopic will be shot by MGM, with Straight Outta Compton producer Scott Bernstein and music producer Harvey Mason Jr. (who has worked with both Franklin in the past as well as Hudson for Dreamgirls), also signing on for the project.
Franklin, who started her career as a gospel singer six decades ago, has won 25 (!!) Grammy Awards and was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
This is one flick we can’t WAIT to see!
Will you be watching the Aretha Franklin biopic? Tweet us @BritandCo.
(Photos via Nicholas Hunt + Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty)
