We noticed that the first image from Sparkle popped up recently—since this is the first film still of Whitney Houston since 1996′s The Preacher’s Wife, we wanted to get it up on the site this weekend.  Sparkle is a remake of the 1976 movie of the same name inspired by The Supremes.  Jordin Sparks, Tika Sumpter, and Carmen Ejogo star as three sisters start out singing at their local church, and go on to find great success (and the troubles that come with it) as a Motown girl group.

Derek Luke, Mike Epps, Cee-Lo Green, and Omari Hardwick also star; Salim Akil (Jumping the Broom) is directing.  R. Kelly wrote new original songs to add to the Curtis Mayfield score from the original.  Sparkle is set for release on August 10.  See the image after the jump.

With Warner Bros.’ musical remake A Star Is Born getting pushed back indefinitely due to Beyoncé’s pregnancy, Sony Pictures is jumping all over the chance to put out its own music-centric redo. Variety reports that Whitney Houston is in talks to join both Mike Epps (The Hangover) and American Idol-winner Jordin Sparks in the studio’s remake of the 1976 music drama Sparkle. Salim Akil (Jumping the Broom) will direct the pic from a screenplay by his wife, Mara Brock Akil (writer/producer for ABC’s Cougar Town).

For those unfamiliar with the original, it was co-written by Joel Schumacher and followed the rise of an all-sister trio whose success wreaks havoc on their personal lives in the late 1950s. Per the report, Akil’s remake will be set during Motown’s rise in 1968 Detroit and will focus on the youngest of three sisters, a musically gifted youngster named Sparkle (Sparks) whose rise to fame is spattered with familial troubles. There is no word on which roles Epps and potentially Houston will be taking on but, with production on the remake set to begin next month, my guess is that more details will be available shortly.