A new trailer has just been released for I Wanna Dance With Somebody, the upcoming biopic about Whitney Houston, one of the most legendary singers of our time. The film is set to be released to theaters on December 23, and is a powerful and triumphant celebration of the life of the incomparable Houston.

The film gives an intense and unflinching look at the woman behind The Voice. The film will take us on the journey of Houston's life, from New Jersey choir girl to one of the best-selling and most awarded recording artists of all time. The film will show moments both inspiring and heartbreaking in Houston's all too short life, and will give us a look at some of her most iconic works, including her breathtaking rendition of "I Will Always Love You" and, of course, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody".

The trailer opens with the signature sound of Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love you", and then cuts to Houston, played by Naomi Ackie, being introduced to a roaring crowd as she looks up and smiles. The trailer then cuts to a much quieter setting, with a radio DJ saying that "some people think your music isn't Black enough."

Houston then counters, rightfully angry, with "[w]ho said that? That's just bull. Actually, it's hateful and uninformed." She goes on to list all the ways in which she, as a Black woman in the music industry has been pulled apart and made to feel inadequate. These are, of course, critiques that, when presented with the extraordinary breadth of her career, seem flimsy at best, and destructive at worst.

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Image via Sony Pictures

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"Music is not a color for me," Houston says, "it has no boundaries for me. I sing what I want to sing." The trailer then plunges full-on into her extraordinary career and life, giving us glimpses into the drama ahead for the heavily anticipated biopic, including issues with her father, her marriage turbulent marriage, and the love she had for her daughter.

I Wanna Dance With Somebody is directed by Kasi Lemmons and written by Anthony McCarten. The film is being produced by McCarten, Pat Houston, Clive Davis, Larry Mestel, Denis O’Sullivan, Jeff Kalligheri, Matt Jackson, Molly Smith, Trent Luckinbill, Thad Luckinbill, Matt Salloway, and Christina Papagjika. In addition to Ackie, the film also stars Stanley Tucci, Ashton Sanders, Tamara Tunie, Nafessa Williams, and Clarke Peters.

I Wanna Dance With Somebody will premiere in theaters on December 23. You can watch the brand-new trailer below.