Taking its title from one of Houston's biggest
hits - "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" - the film has the backing
of the singer's estate and her longtime record producer and
mentor Clive Davis, producers said on Wednesday.
They described the film as a "joyous, emotional and
heart-breaking celebration" of Houston's life and music, but
added that it would also be "very frank about the price that
super-stardom exacted."
Houston, 48, whose hits included, "I Will Always Love You" and
"Saving All My Love for You," drowned in her bathtub at a
Beverly Hills hotel in 2012 on the eve of the Grammy Awards
after taking cocaine. She had a well-chronicled and years-long
battle with drug addiction.
Houston co-starred in the 1992 romantic thriller "The Bodyguard"
and made several other movies. Since her death, the six-time
Grammy winner has been the subject of several documentaries but
the feature film is the first approved version of her life.
"Bohemian Rhapsody" writer Anthony McCarten has penned the
screenplay and indie filmmaker Stella Meghie is in advanced
talks to direct, producers said in a statement.
No casting or release date was announced.
Musical biopics have surged in popularity in the past two years
thanks to the success of "Bohemian Rhapsody" - the story of
Queen frontman Freddie Mercury which won four Oscars in 2019 -
and Elton John's rise to fame in "Rocketman."
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant in Los Angeles; Editing by Matthew
Lewis)
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