Jennifer Hudson, Who Is Playing Aretha Franklin In Biopic, Reacts To Cynthia Erivo Playing Late Singer In Separate Series: If It’s Not A Film, It’s Nothing

October 19, 2020 by Toi Monèt Creel in Music with 0 Comments

Jennifer Hudson, Who Is Playing Aretha Franklin In Biopic, Reacts To Cynthia Erivo Playing Late Singer In Separate Series: If It’s Not A Film, It’s Nothing

It’s no secret that Jennifer Hudson will be playing Aretha Franklin in the MGM biopic: Respect. In fact, before her passing Aretha Franklin was adamant about Jennifer Hudson ,39, portraying her and even predicted she would win an Oscar.

In light of the late Aretha Franklin‘s passing, there’s also another upcoming National Geographic series Genius: Aretha, starring actress 33-year-old Cynthia Erivo (For Harriet, The Color Purple).

Cynthia Erivo

When asked about the series that Cynthia Erivo is starring in, Jennifer Hudson stated:

“I know that Aretha was adamant that [her life] be a film. If it’s not a film, it’s nothing.”

She continued,

“I’m just honored that she picked me to play her. I mean, who can say that? And again, I would have never done it without her wishes.”

Aretha Franklin

Franklin lost her fight with pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer in 2018 at the age of 76. Despite the fact J-Hud got a green light from Aretha, her own son has spoken out about his displeasure with MGM’s depiction of Franklin and his anger with his family not being contacted.

He did note the family’s approval with Hudson being selected to portray Aretha. He wrote on social media:

“HOW CAN YOU MAKE A MOVIE ABOUT A PERSON AND NOT TALK TO THE PERSONS SONS OR GRANDCHILDREN ABOUT IMPORTANT INFORMATION? HOW CAN YOU PUT A PERSONS FAMILY (IMAGE) IN A BOOK AND NOT ASK PERMISSION?”

The biopic will follow the rise of Franklin’s career from a child singing in her father’s church’s choir to her international superstardom, featuring actors such as Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Audra McDonald, Marc Maron, Tituss Burges.

In the National Geographic series Genius: Aretha, the eight-part series explores Franklin’s career and the impact of her music on culture and the world.

What do you think about Jennifer Hudson’s words? Let us know in the comments.