MGM has released an announcement trailer for their upcoming biopic Respect. The film follows the career of iconic singer Aretha Franklin (Jennifer Hudson) as she goes from a child singing in a church choir to an international superstar.

Since this is just an announcement trailer, there’s no sense of the surrounding film, but you will nod your head in approval that they cast Hudson as Franklin. It’s hard to think of any other actresses who have the pipes to do just to the late singer, but Hudson can do it, and I’m eager to see what she does with the role. I’m also curious if Respect is a traditional biopic or if they’ll find a unique spin on telling Franklin’s story. The film hails from director Liesl Tommy, who is making her feature directing debut after helming TV episodes of The Walking Dead, Queen Sugar, and Jessica Jones, so I’m excited to see what she does with the material.

As for Hudson, if you really want to see her sing in a movie and can’t wait until next fall, you could always go see Cats. However, see Cats at your own peril and know that the orchestration drowns out her showstopping performance of the song “Memories”. You have been warned.

Check out the Respect trailer below. The film opens October 9, 2020 and also stars Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Audra McDonald, Marc Maron, Tituss Burgess, Saycon Sengbloh, Hailey Kilgore, Skye Dakota Turner, Tate Donovan, and Mary J. Blige.

Here’s the official synopsis for Respect:

Following the rise of Aretha Franklin’s career from a child singing in her father’s church’s choir to her international superstardom, RESPECT is the remarkable true story of the music icon’s journey to find her voice.

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