Audra McDonald, Heather Headley, Hailey Kilgore & Tituss Burgess to Join Jennifer Hudson in Aretha Franklin Biopic Respect

Six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald is among a slew of theater stars who have signed on to appear in the highly anticipated Aretha Franklin biopic Respect. The previously announced film, directed by Tony nominee Liesl Tommy and starring Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson as Franklin, is expected to arrive in cinemas on August 14, 2020.

Joining McDonald, who will appear as Franklin's mother, is Tony winner Heather Headley (Aida, The Color Purple) as famed gospel artist Clara Ward, Tony nominee Hailey Kilgore (Once on This Island) as Franklin's sister Carolyn, Tony nominee Saycon Sengbloh (Eclipsed) as her sister Erma, Emmy nominee Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Little Mermaid) as Reverend Dr. James Cleveland, Oscar winner Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland, Hughie) as Franklin's father, recording star Mary J. Blige as Dinah Washington, Marlon Wayans (Marlon) as her first husband Ted White, Marc Maron (GLOW) as music producer Jerry Wexler and Skye Dakota Turner (currently playing Young Anna-Mae in Broadway's Tina—The Tina Turner Musical) as young Aretha.

The motion picture will feature many of the songs that drove Franklin to stardom, including "Respect," "I Say a Little Prayer," "Think," "(You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman" "You've Got a Friend," "Dr. Feelgood," "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man," "Spanish Harlem" and "Young, Gifted and Black." The movie will also include the hits "Ain't No Way," "Precious Lord," "There's a Fountain Filled With Blood," "Amazing Grace" and "Chain of Fools."