The full trailer forRespectis here!Jennifer Hudson’s long-awaitedAretha Franklinbiopic is offering fans a fresh glimpse at Hudson’s portrayal of the late soul legend.In thenearly 3-minute-long trailer, scenes from Franklin’s childhood play out before Hudson, 39, takes over as the singer’s adult version.“I need a change. I want to sing what I want to sing,” she says, sitting down at the piano and beginning to write and play what would eventually become Franklin’s arguably most famous song, “Respect.“Subsequent scenes showFranklin’s rise to superstardomand personal struggles along the way, in which she fights to find and retain her voice. At one point, after being asked whether she has “lost [her] mind,” the singer replies, “Maybe I found it.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin inRespect.Quantrell D. ColbertHudson appeared onGood Morning AmericaWednesday to talk about her 15-year-journey toward bringing Franklin’s story to the silver screen, revealing they had their “first conversation” about the project “right after I won my Oscar for Dreamgirls” in 2006.“So you can only imagine how I feel now, like, ‘Whoa, it’s here? It’s done?’ " she said. “To see it actually manifest and for her to choose me is … Ican’t even begin to put it into words. I do not take it lightly. It’s a dream come true. I don’t want to sound cheesy, but it is.“Hudson said she and Franklin, whodied in 2018 of pancreatic cancerat age 76, “spoke weekly” about her life. And “in the midst of those conversations, she taught me more about life while in the midst of teaching me aboutherlife,” theAmerican Idolalum added.“When I got to portray her, that’s when I realized she was really speaking from experience,” Hudson went on. “And it wasn’t just anyone telling you anything, but to know those were words of wisdom, coming from the Queen of Soul herself. And it helped me embody the story that much more.“Jennifer Hudson (L); Aretha Franklin.Roy Rochlin/FilmMagic; Michael Stewart/WireImageRELATED VIDEO: Oscar Winner Jennifer Hudson Reveals the First Thing Aretha Franklin Said to Her When They MetWhile she was apprehensive at first about playing such “an icon” and “legend” that she has “the utmost respect for,” Hudson said onGMA, “I told myself, ‘Ifshe said I could [play her], I guess I can. I better try.’ ““I remember when we first met, the very first meeting, we sat at the table and she said, ‘You shy or something?’ I was like, ‘Well, Iamsitting at the table talking to Ms. Aretha Franklin!’ " the actress and singer recalled.“Those nerves are passion. … You can’t just wake up in the morningand think you’re gonna be Aretha Franklin. It does not work like that, and I’m highly aware of it,” Hudson added. “So I still do my homework, even after filming. Like, ‘Okay, I gotta go back to Aretha school.’ I feel like she put me back in music, which I still am in, to this day.“Respectpremieres in theaters Aug. 13.
The full trailer forRespectis here!
Jennifer Hudson’s long-awaitedAretha Franklinbiopic is offering fans a fresh glimpse at Hudson’s portrayal of the late soul legend.
In thenearly 3-minute-long trailer, scenes from Franklin’s childhood play out before Hudson, 39, takes over as the singer’s adult version.
“I need a change. I want to sing what I want to sing,” she says, sitting down at the piano and beginning to write and play what would eventually become Franklin’s arguably most famous song, “Respect.”
Subsequent scenes showFranklin’s rise to superstardomand personal struggles along the way, in which she fights to find and retain her voice. At one point, after being asked whether she has “lost [her] mind,” the singer replies, “Maybe I found it.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.
Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin inRespect.Quantrell D. Colbert
Hudson appeared onGood Morning AmericaWednesday to talk about her 15-year-journey toward bringing Franklin’s story to the silver screen, revealing they had their “first conversation” about the project “right after I won my Oscar for Dreamgirls” in 2006.
“So you can only imagine how I feel now, like, ‘Whoa, it’s here? It’s done?’ " she said. “To see it actually manifest and for her to choose me is … Ican’t even begin to put it into words. I do not take it lightly. It’s a dream come true. I don’t want to sound cheesy, but it is.”
Hudson said she and Franklin, whodied in 2018 of pancreatic cancerat age 76, “spoke weekly” about her life. And “in the midst of those conversations, she taught me more about life while in the midst of teaching me aboutherlife,” theAmerican Idolalum added.
“When I got to portray her, that’s when I realized she was really speaking from experience,” Hudson went on. “And it wasn’t just anyone telling you anything, but to know those were words of wisdom, coming from the Queen of Soul herself. And it helped me embody the story that much more.”
Jennifer Hudson (L); Aretha Franklin.Roy Rochlin/FilmMagic; Michael Stewart/WireImage
RELATED VIDEO: Oscar Winner Jennifer Hudson Reveals the First Thing Aretha Franklin Said to Her When They Met
While she was apprehensive at first about playing such “an icon” and “legend” that she has “the utmost respect for,” Hudson said onGMA, “I told myself, ‘Ifshe said I could [play her], I guess I can. I better try.’ "
“I remember when we first met, the very first meeting, we sat at the table and she said, ‘You shy or something?’ I was like, ‘Well, Iamsitting at the table talking to Ms. Aretha Franklin!’ " the actress and singer recalled.
“Those nerves are passion. … You can’t just wake up in the morningand think you’re gonna be Aretha Franklin. It does not work like that, and I’m highly aware of it,” Hudson added. “So I still do my homework, even after filming. Like, ‘Okay, I gotta go back to Aretha school.’ I feel like she put me back in music, which I still am in, to this day.”
Respectpremieres in theaters Aug. 13.
source: people.com
