'Star Wars' famed Naomi Ackie cast as Whitney Houston in upcoming biopic

The upcoming Whitney Houston biopic has found its star in a galaxy far, far away.

Naomi Ackie, who played the ex-stormtrooper Jannah in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, has been cast as the iconic singer in I Wanna Dance With Somebody, the filmmakers announced Tuesday reported Entertainment Weekly.

As previously reported, Bohemian Rhapsody's Anthony McCarten is writing the script, and The Photograph director Stella Meghie will helm the film for Sony Pictures and its TriStar division. Whereas Pat Houston, Houston's sister-in-law, will produce the film on behalf of the Houston estate, along with music producer Clive Davis (who discovered Houston), Larry Mestel, Denis O'Sullivan, and Jeff Kalligheri.

"We spent the better part of the last year in an exhaustive search for an actress who could embody Whitney Houston," Meghie revealed. "Naomi Ackie impressed us at every stage of the process. I was moved by her ability to capture the stage presence of a global icon while bringing humanity to her interior life," she added.

Davis said Ackie's screen test was so powerful, it sent shivers up his spine. "Although Whitney's incomparable vocals are used for all the songs, Naomi's extraordinary acting range enables her to masterfully capture Whitney's unique charm, star power and, of course, her personal struggles. Naomi is the real deal and I can't imagine a better choice for this iconic role," he asserted.

In a previous statement about the biopic, which will explore the life and music of the legendary singer, the producers said the film won't shy away from the circumstances surrounding Houston's death either. They also relayed interest in working with McCarten, given his sensitivity in approaching past biopics like the Freddie Mercury-centered Bohemian Rhapsody.

In addition to starring in The Rise of Skywalker in 2019, Ackie won a BAFTA Award earlier this year for her role in the series The End of the F***ing World. The British actress was also recently seen in the Education installment of Steve McQueen's Small Axe anthology, and she is set to star in the upcoming thriller The Score.

I Wanna Dance With Somebody is slated for release over Thanksgiving weekend 2022.

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