A new Whitney Houston biopic is aiming for Oscar gold thanks to a buzz-worthy screenwriter, A-list producer and the stamp of approval from the singer’s estate.
Titled ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody,’ the new film is being written by Oscar-favorite Anthony McCarten who penned ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ ‘The Theory of Everything,’ ‘Darkest Hour’ and ‘The Two Popes.’ Legendary producer Clive Davis teamed up with The Whitney Houston Estate and Primary Wave to make the project happen. while director Stella Maghie (‘The Photograph’) is in negotiations to direct the pic, Deadline reports.
The film’s IMDB page describes it as a “joyous, emotional and heart-breaking celebration of the life and music of the greatest female R&B vocalist of all time” that tracks Houston‘s journey “from obscurity to musical super stardom.”
Casting has yet to be announced, but when it is, expect some major award buzz. McCarten‘s last four films all earned Oscar nominations in the acting categories, while three saw wins for the lead actor (Eddie Redmayne, Gary Oldman, Rami Malek). Director Maghie doesn’t stir up much buzz, but then again, neither did the directors for McCarten‘s past films.
And if it’s anything like ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ the new Whitney pic could be a huge hit at the box office, too. ‘Rhapsody’ holds the title as the highest-grossing music biopic of all time with over $900 MILLION earned worldwide. Because money talks, we’re assuming ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ will be modeled closely after the success of ‘Rhapsody.’
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