If you are a fan of Bohemian Rhapsody, Elvis and Rocketman, you will not want to miss the Whitney Houston biopic, I Wanna Dance With Somebody.
The biographical musical film sees The End of The F****** World star Naomi Ackie embody the role of the late Whitney Houston.
The movie is directed by Harriet's Kasi Lemmons and written by two-time Academy Award nominee Anthony McCarten. Clive Davis, the man who helped discover Houston, also serves as one of the film's producers.
Newsweek has everything you need to know about I Wanna Dance With Somebody so you do not miss a thing.
When Is I Wanna Dance With Somebody Out in Cinemas?
I Wanna Dance With Somebody will be hitting a cinema near you just in time for Christmas.
The movie will be released in the U.S. and New Zealand on Friday, December 23.
The U.K., Europe and the rest of the world will be able to see I Wanna Dance With Somebody from Christmas Day (December 25).
Check your local cinema listing to see what time I Wanna Dance With Somebody will be showing.
At the moment, it is unknown if I Wanna Dance With Somebody will be available for streaming in the near future.
Who Stars In I Wanna Dance With Somebody?
Naomi Ackie portrays Whitney Houston in I Wanna Dance With Somebody.
Ackie is best known for her role as Jannah in 2019's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Bonnie in Netflix's The End of the F****** World.
Multi-award-winning actor Stanley Tucci portrays Clive Davis, Whitney's record producer, and Black Lightning's Nafessa Williams takes on the role of Robyn Crawford, Whitney's friend and assistant.
Ashton Sanders, best known for his role as teenage Chiron in Moonlight, plays Bobby Brown, Whitney's husband.
Law & Order's Tamara Tunie stars as Cissy Houston, Whitney's mother, and The Wire's Clarke Peters takes on the role of Whitney's father, John Houston.
Up-and-coming actress Bria Danielle Singleton portrays Bobbi Kristina Brown, Whitney and Bobby's daughter.
What Is I Wanna Dance With Somebody About?
I Wanna Dance With Somebody will explore the life and incredible career of superstar Whitney Houston.
The official synopsis via Sony Pictures teases: "I Wanna Dance with Somebody is a powerful and triumphant celebration of the incomparable Whitney Houston.
"Directed by Kasi Lemmons, written by Academy Award nominee Anthony McCarten, produced by legendary music executive Clive Davis and starring BAFTA Award winner Naomi Ackie, the film is a no-holds-barred portrait of the complex and multifaceted woman behind The Voice. From New Jersey choir girl to one of the best-selling and most awarded recording artists of all time, audiences are taken on an inspirational, poignant—and so emotional—journey through Houston's trailblazing life and career, with show-stopping performances and a soundtrack of the icon's most beloved hits as you've never heard them before. Don't you wanna dance?"
Some cultural defining moments that feature in I Wanna Dance With Somebody include her performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the 1991 Super Bowl and her 1994 medley at the American Music Awards of "I Loves You, Porgy," "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" and "I Have Nothing."
The movie will also address her sudden death in February 2012. Houston accidentally drowned in a Beverly Hills Hilton hotel, with heart disease and cocaine use as contributing factors. She was 48-years-old.
Speaking to The San Diego Union-Tribune about bringing Houston's life story to screen, director, Lemmons shared: "Triumph? Tragedy? I think both those things about Whitney are right.
"Yes, a triumph, but also sad. I think her human experience is something we can all look at and relate to. Well, maybe not all of it, not selling 200 million records around the world! But the ups and downs that she had? I think everyone has had. It was a life, a full life with all those things."
She continued: "It's an interesting dichotomy. Here was this person with such tremendous talent, such a rare, God-given gift, who was also subject to human frailties. Yes, there was tragedy in her life, but I don't think she's a tragic figure. I think of her as inspiring."
Is There A Trailer for I Wanna Dance With Somebody?
Yes, there is a thrilling trailer for I Wanna Dance With Somebody out now.
The trailer begins with Ackie as Houston belting out the words to "I Will Always Love You."
Scenes then flashback to Houston being criticized for her music "not being Black enough" to which she powerfully responds that her comments are "hateful" and "uninformed."
She continues: "Music is not a color to me, it has no boundaries," as she walks out to perform "The Star Spangled Banner" at the 1991 Super Bowl.
The trailer also shows Houston's wedding day, her struggles with her father as well as performing to crowds of thousands.
I Wanna Dance With Somebody is coming to cinemas on Friday, December 23.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Molli Mitchell is a Senior SEO TV and Film Newsweek Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
