#Roommates, following multiple updates on the project, it appears that the upcoming Whitney Houston biopic “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” has conquered the daunting task of casting its leading role. It has just been confirmed that British actress Naomi Ackie will play the iconic Whitney Houston in the big-screen biopic that is currently set for a 2022 release.
@Deadline reports, BAFTA award-winner Naomi Ackie is officially stepping into the legendary shoes of Whitney Houston, as the British actress just landed the leading role in the Sony/TriStar biopic “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”—which will be directed by Stella Meghie, whose most recent film was the Issa Rae romantic drama “The Photograph.”
“We spent the better part of the last year in an exhaustive search for an actress who could embody Whitney Houston,” Meghie said in a statement. “Naomi Ackie impressed us at every stage of the process. I was moved by her ability to capture the stage presence of a global icon while bringing humanity to her interior life.”
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In case you’re unfamiliar with her work, Ackie’s previous acting credits include: “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” Netflix’s “The End Of The F**king World,” and the Amazon Prime limited series “Small Axe.”
As we previously reported back in August, while there have already been television biopics and documentaries about the life of Whitney Houston, this will be the first feature film. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” will be produced by Pat Houston on behalf of the Houston Estate, Clive Davis and more. The film will also have the rights to use all of Whitney’s hits, something that no other project documenting her life has ever had.
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