If it wasn’t for the pandemic, Whitney Houston’s much-awaited official biopic may already have been half-filmed.
But as we’d have it, the makers at present are just looking to find out the face that is going to step in the shoes of the late diva for the upcoming flick – ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’.
Casting websites have reported that the makers are now looking for a black female actor aged between 23-37 to play the late and legendary diva in the upcoming biopic.
Being directed by Stella Meghie and written by Oscar-famed – Anthony McCarten, who’s written for acclaimed movies like, The Theory Of Everything, The Two Popes, Bohemian Rhapsody, among others, the movie is slated for a release in the year 2022 and the shooting for the same should begin as soon as they are able to find ‘their Whitney.’
And that in itself is going to be quite a task!
Considering the fact, that she was one of the most popular female singers in the world, with a catalogue that is still on top of the streaming charts – in comparison to other female artists of her time, her continued relevance is going to make it difficult to find someone who’s able to get past the critique of her fans.
With the impossibility of finding someone who can sound like her on-stage, it would certainly be a wiser choice to pick someone who can act and mime to her original recordings, instead of roping-in a singer who covers her often worshipped high-octane songs (a la Jennifer Hudson with the Aretha Biopic).
The casting call for the role also details that the requirement is not only to meet the age criteria, but to also ensure the actress meets a certain ‘height requirement’, considering Houston’s 5’7, slim built.
You can find more about the casting process here.