BAFTA-winning actress Naomi Ackie as Whitney Houston in ‘Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody’ . Picture: Supplied
It’s been 11 years since iconic R&B star Whitney Houston passed away tragically, and in this time, four films have been made trying to depict her life.
The latest is Sony Entertainment’s “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody”.
The film, which was in cinemas last year, will soon be available on DStv’s BoxOffice.
Unlike the other offerings, “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody” is a no-holds-barred portrait of the complex and multifaceted woman behind the iconic voice.
Directed by Kasi Lemmon and starring BAFTA-winning actress Naomi Ackie as Houston, the film takes viewers on an emotionally-charged journey through Houston’s trailblazing career since the ‘80s, with show-stopping performances and a soundtrack of her beloved hits.
“If you missed this powerful biopic while it was on circuit, snuggle up as the cold weather sets in and relive Whitney’s journey from obscurity to superstardom from the comfort of your couch, courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment,” read a press statement from Box Office.
Tracking her life from church choir girl to her international breakthrough as a crossover artist, to performing for newly inaugurated South African president Nelson Mandela and her tumultuous relationships with her overbearing father and her wayward husband, Bobby Brown, this film aims to correct the perception that her life was “tragic”.
Writer Anthony McCarten once told “The Guardian”: “When people hear the name ‘Whitney Houston’, they inevitably say the word ‘tragic’, it’s a universal perception. In some respects, this film is a corrective to that.”
The movie also stars Oscar nominee Stanley Tucci as Clive Davis, the record producer who transformed Houston into one of the best-selling female artists of all time.
Watch the trailer.
“Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody” will screen on DStv BoxOffice from May 5.