Whitney Houston Movie: 'Star Wars' Star To Play Iconic Role in Biopic

By Alexandria Kim

A Whitney Houston movie is in the works, and it has already found its lead star after a wordlwide search.

Eight years after Houston passed away, the late singer will receive another posthumous honor through a new biopic.

The "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" biopic will be making its way to the big screens soon. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the plans will be ironed out after the team finally found the best actress to portray the music legend.

Naomi Ackie, who is renowned for her role in "Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker," is now in talks with Sony and its TriStar division for the upcoming feature.

Meanwhile, Stella Meghie will be responsible for directing the biopic. Houston's estate and music producer Clive Davis will be working with her to complete the flick before its scheduled release on Thanksgiving 2022.

"We spent the better part of the last year in an exhaustive search for an actress who could embody Whitney Houston," said Meghie, who is also famous for creating Issa Rae's romance "The Photograph."

Per the film director, Ackie left them impressed at every stage. She applauded the actress' ability to give justice to the late global icon on stage.

Aside from Meghie and Davis, several award-winning individuals joined together to produce the best film after Whitney Houston's death.

Larry Mestel of Primary Wave Music, Denis O'Sullivan and Jeff Kalligheri will work behind the cameras for the producing and financing processes,

Nicole Brown, Shary Shirazi and Brittany Morrissey will represent TriStar Pictures and oversee the project.

The music icon's estate and Davis will reportedly use the singer's catalog, including the song "Saving All My Love for You."

Naomi Ackie Can Sing Any Whitney Houston Song

Before Houston's death, the singer was renowned for garnering six Grammy awards throughout her career.

The late singer is still considered one of the best recording artists of all time. Houston's song "I Will Always Love You" even became a soundtrack to her acting debut in the 1992 film "The Bodyguard."

She also has other hit songs that continue to enter the charts nowadays, including "How Will I Know" and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody."

Having these recognitions make it hard for any actress to portray her character perfectly. However, Davis noted that Ackie's screen test was so powerful that she gave life to Whitney again.

"Although Whitney's incomparable vocals are used for all the songs, Naomi's extraordinary acting range enables her to masterfully capture Whitney's unique charm, star power, and, of course, her personal struggles," Davis said. "Naomi is the real deal and I can't imagine a better choice for this iconic role."

Finding the best actress for the Whitney Houston movie can be hard, as her fans only want perfection for the late singer and legacy.

Still, Ackie won the role due to her deep commitment to portraying the woman that caught people's hearts.

"I Wanna Dance With Somebody" will be the latest honor for Houston, and her fans cannot wait to finally see it.