MGM has dated its Aretha Franklin biopic Respect for August 14, 2020.
The pic, directed by Liesl Tommy and scripted by Oscar winner Callie Khouri, follows the 17-time Grammy winner from her childhood days singing in her father’s church’s choir to mega stardom and the performer of such hit songs as “Respect” and “Chain of Fools.” Dreamgirls Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson will play Franklin.
Tradecraft’s Scott Bernstein, who produced Straight Outta Compton, and Harvey Mason Jr., who has written and produced songs for both Franklin and Hudson, are producers on Respect.
Mid-August is a prime time to launch early awards-season fare, a month that’s home to such Oscar pedigree as Hell or High Water and Inglourious Basterds, to name a few. So far, the only other major studio release dated on the same day as Respect is an untitled Universal film.
