Plot Outline: The life of Aretha Franklin from singing as a child in her father’s church’s choir to becoming an iconic superstar and civil rights activist.
Who's Involved:
Release Date:
Friday, August 13, 2021 In Theaters (Nationwide)
for mature thematic content, strong language including racial epithets, violence, suggestive material, and smoking
Respect Plot: What's it about?
Following the rise of Aretha Franklin’s career from a child singing in her father’s church’s choir to her international superstardom, Respect is the remarkable true story of the music icon’s journey to find her voice.
Respect Cast List & Characters
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Respect Crew and Production Team
A look at the Respect behind-the-scenes crew and production team. The film's director Liesl Tommy previously directed Born a Crime.
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Respect Trailers & Videos
Respect Production and Filming
Key Facts
- With a story by Callie Khouri (Oscar® winner for Writing, Thelma & Louise) and Tracey Scott Wilson, and screenplay written by Tracey Scott Wilson. Wilson and Tommy have worked together creatively since the 2009 play The Good Negro written by Wilson, directed by Tommy at The Public Theatre. Wilson was a writer on FX’s The Americans which garnered her a Peabody Award as well as Emmy® and WGA Award nominations (6/6/2021).
- "My dream for the film -- and for Aretha and her legacy -- was to create a piece of cinema that feels like a classic you have to see in a movie theater. You have to see it on a big screen because her life was so big it deserved that." – Liesl Tommy, director of Respect (6/6/2021).
- Callie Khouri, who wrote “Thelma & Louise” and is the creator of TV's Nashville, is writing the script (3/9/19).
- Dreamgirls star Jennifer Hudson was handpicked by Aretha Franklin to play her before the singer's death (1/11/19).
Respect Filming Timeline
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— Respect entered Completed status.
Awaiting release by the distributor; a release date may or may not be available.
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— The film entered Post-Production status.
Filming completed; footage being edited; music being composed and recorded; sound and visual effects being added.
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— The film entered Pre-Production status.
Stage director Liesl Tommy is on-board to direct the biopic.Key cast and crew being hired; budget and production schedule finalized; shooting script approved.
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— The film entered Development status.
Story selection and rights acquired; idea being crafted into usable script; financing and casting attachments sought; aiming for 'greenlight'.
Respect Release Date: When was the film released?
Respect was released nationwide on . 14 other films are opening on the same date, including Free Guy, Don't Breathe 2 and Coda.
At home release details for Respect haven't been announced yet. Check back for updates on DVD, Blu-ray, Digital and VOD availability.
