Aretha Franklin’s legacy is getting the proper Respect it deserves in a new clip from the forthcoming biopic about the late superstar’s life. The minute-long clip features Jennifer Hudson portraying the Queen of Soul as she belts out her world-famous signature song “Respect.”
Following a couple of teasers and trailers, the new video is the first full-length look into the biopic, directed by Liesl Tommy and coming out Aug. 13. The film follows Franklin from her beginnings as a young girl singing in her father’s church choir to her rise to fame, abusive marriage and involvement in the civil rights movement. In addition to telling her story, the film will celebrate Franklin’s catalog of hits. The soundtrack will also include “Here I Am (Singing My May Home),” an original song co-written by Hudson, Carole King and Jamie Hartman. King co-wrote “(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman,” a song Franklin introduced in 1967, which became an instant classic.
Dazzling the crowd in a shimmery, baby blue dress and an ultra-teased ’60s hairdo, the new clip shows Hudson re-enacting Franklin’s performance at Madison Square Garden in the summer of 1968. She interacts with her band and her glamorous crew of backup singers under pink and blue spotlights as they perform, the audience going wild for Franklin’s infamous vocal power.
Watch Jennifer Hudson take on Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” for the upcoming biopic here: