The life story of legendary R&B singer, Aretha Franklin. New episodes debut at the same time … But … Erivo found the extra time a boon to her performance. Perhaps the greatest impact of the nearly five-month break was what happened concurrently with the COVID-19 pandemic, which was an eruption of activism, protest, and calls for social justice in the wake of the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Credit: The Grammy and Tony Award winning Erivo—who’s also a Golden Globe and Oscar nominee—stars as Franklin and puts to great use not only her acting chops but also her powerful voice. Academy Award nominee Cynthia Erivo stars as Franklin in Genius: Aretha, alongside a cast that also includes David Cross (as Jerry Wexler), Courtney B. Vance (as the Rev. The trailer for Genius: Aretha teases a riveting look at the life and times of Aretha Franklin. In fact, many credit CL Franklin for shaping Aretha's style and sound. Setting itself apart from the mini-series, the film will cover the singer’s younger years also. Gates open … And “ Genius: Aretha” leans hard on its lead actress’s singing prowess to pass the time instead of engaging in steadily proactive character development—as “Billie Holiday” did. We can tell you that everyone who worked on Genius: Aretha approached telling her story with the intention to respect Ms. Franklin in every aspect of the series and in every decision we made.”. Directed by Liesl Tommy. Cynthia Erivo, a Grammy and Tony winner, portrays Aretha Franklin in Season 3 of “Genius,” including all the singing. Aretha Franklin’s granddaughter and other family members are boycotting that bulls*** television movie “Genius” starring Cynthia Erivo. C.L. Rather than roll out Genius: Aretha on a … Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. New episodes debut at the same time … !” Cunningham captioned an “angry, all-caps” February Instagram post, per the Detroit Free Press. Franklin. After all, the name of the franchise is “Genius,” and Parks’s story sings convincingly of why Franklin deserves the same title as Einstein and Picasso. Shaian Jordan, who portrays a younger version of Franklin in the series, also grew up listening to her music, and remembers her grandma playing it frequently. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. "I was able to make decisions faster. NatGeo on Thursday announced that Tony-, Emmy- and Grammy Award winner Cynthia Erivo has been cast as Aretha Franklin in the next installment of its Genius bioseries. Franklin. For the cast and crew, it’s a personal story. In the ultimate game of “Who Would You Want to Play You in a Movie,” Aretha Franklin wanted Hudson, and she got her. “As the immediate family, we feel it’s important to be involved with any biopic of my grandma’s life, as it’s hard to get any accurate depiction of anyone’s life without speaking to the ones closest to them,” Grace said in another March video, explaining that the family had reached out to Genius producers on multiple occasions. C.L. Aretha stars Harriet alum Cynthia Erivo as the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, and Courtney B. Vance as her father, C.L. As the immediate family — emphasis on immediate — we do not support this film. Genius: Aretha begins screening on Sky TV’s National Geographic channel at 7.30pm on Monday, March 22. ", Both Jordan and Vance say the biggest challenge was just adjusting to the new safety protocols on set and how that affected things like big crowd scenes. "We had to cut parts of the script," Parks says. National Geographic channel bills its biographical limited series Genius: Aretha as an exploration of the Queen of Soul’s “immeasurable impact” on music and culture. A free public premiere of "Genius: Aretha" is happening Saturday night at Monroe Street Drive In, located east of Campus Martius Park in downtown Detroit. Listen to Austin 360 Radio. “We’ve been disrespected and told we’ll not be worked with. Once again, Erivo is giving her all with this performance. That film is expected to premiere later in 2020. Genius: Aretha stars British Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo, and is being shown in eight parts on US channel National Geographic this week. “If you are a true fan please do not support it!! "We were sort of mirroring the experience that was happening at that time in the very moment that we were living through. The cast of Aretha Franklin biopic boasts of a stellar cast and they all will give great performances to entice the audience. The Emmy and Grammy Award-Winning actress Cynthia Erivo will be playing the role of Aretha. Once … Unlike Genius: Aretha, Respect will touch on Aretha Franklin’s childhood. On Genius, Washington is played by Stacey Sargeant, most recently seen in the movie The Forty-Year-Old Version. "I just fell deeply in love with her voice.". 'Genius: Aretha' also stars Broadway stars Patrice Covington and Rebecca Naomi Jones as Franklin’s sisters and frequent background singers, Erma and Carolyn. Creator Suzan-Lori Parks says Franklin's music is a part of the fabric of her life, the type of songs that take you back to the exact moment of a memory you've associated with hearing it. Genius: Aretha gets credit for humanizing Franklin – it’s no simple paean, but rather a portrait of a genius drawn in shades of grey. “ Genius: Aretha” relies on gorgeous costume design and an ensemble cast to distract us from the scarcity as its center—as “Billie Holiday” did. In a statement to The Root on March 17, a National Geographic rep noted the network had received the family’s message, acknowledging “their concern for Ms. Franklin’s legacy.” The rep added that the studio “worked with many people who knew Ms. Franklin,” including Clive Davis and “members of her family’s estate,” in order to make sure they told her story in “an honest and authentic” manner. "I was in the back of my mum's Ford car, we were driving to school, I remember the car was blue, and we listened to this radio station called Magic FM," she tells EW. Franklin), Malcolm Barrett (as Ted White), Shaian Jordan (as a younger version of Franklin), and Rebecca Naomi Jones (as Carolyn Franklin). Aretha Franklin is an American legend and the embodiment of an era—and her story will be told in in the upcoming National Geographic series, Genius: Aretha. Although, back in 2016, the stage icon remained tight-lipped about her pick. What the Cast of Genius: Aretha Looks Like In Real Life. Courtney B. Vance, who plays Franklin's father, the Rev. The makers of a new docuseries about Aretha Franklin knew they needed more than two hours to tell her story and honor her music and genius. For the cast members and creator of National Geographic's Genius: Aretha, the moments are etched on their brains. Franklin's genius was actively encouraged by her father, Reverend Clarence LaVaughn Franklin. It actually was really helpful to have that time. Genius: Aretha features Cynthia Erivo in the titular role and showcases the singer in a way that you've never seen before. Franklin's granddaughter Grace posted a video of her protesting … Later, Franklin’s granddaughter Grace Franklin posted a TikTok video of her family chanting in protest of Genius: Aretha on a sidewalk. "My aunts, after church, they would have their pocketbooks and they'd bring over their 45s and they'd put them on the turntable, and they'd teach us how to dance to Aretha Franklin's music," she remembers. With a star-studded cast, talented writing staff (Topdog/Underdog playwrite Suzan-Lori Parks serves as showrunner), and stellar musical performances, Genius: Aretha is … Franklin: T.I. granddaughter Grace Franklin posted a TikTok. Aretha's father was also a superstar in his own right. It felt like it had settled in far more than it had previously. The Genius: Aretha preview arrives just two months after the first teaser for the Jennifer Hudson-starring Franklin biopic Respect was revealed. Other important cast members and supporting cast will include: B. Vance Every RuPaul's Drag Race season 13 runway look, ranked, Spread the love with EW's Valentine's Day gift guide, The Masked Dancer revealed: Every unmasked celebrity on season 1. About her pick of Meredith Corporation all Rights Reserved worked diligently to attain the endorsement of estate! 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