Respect Director Liesl Tommy on Making the Aretha Franklin Biopic

Aug 14 2021

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With Respect now playing in theaters, I recently spoke to director Liesl Tommy about making her feature directorial debut. If you haven’t seen the trailers, Respect stars Jennifer Hudson stars as Aretha Franklin and the film chronicles her journey from a gifted child to an international sensation around the world. The star-studded cast includes Forest Whitaker as C.K. Franklin, Audra McDonald as Barbara Franklin, Tituss Burgess as Dr. James Cleveland, Marc Maron as legendary Atlantic Records music producer Jerry Wexler, Kimberly Scott as Mama Franklin, Saycon Sengblah as Erma Franklin, Hailey Kilgore as Carolyn Franklin, Heather Headley as Clara Ward, Skye Dakota Turner as Young Aretha Franklin, Tate Donovan as John Hammond, and Mary J. Blige as Dina Washington. Respect was written by Tracey Scott Wilson, based on a story by Wilson and Thelma & Louise writer Callie Khouri.