The upcoming biopic, starring Naomi Ackie as the legendary diva, dances into theaters on Dec. 21.
Naomi Ackie is giving fans a look at "the Whitney you never knew" in the upcoming Whitney Houston biopic, I Wanna Dance With Somebody.
The Star Wars actress is embodying the late diva in the film, due out this December, and fans got a first look at her portrayal of the legendary vocalist when the first trailer dropped on Thursday.
The trailer begins with Whitney's origins as a New Jersey choir girl, who steps on stage for her mother, Cissy (Tamara Tunie), one night when legendary record exec Clive Davis (Stanley Tucci) is in the audience. And the rest is history...
The trailer gives a look at some iconic Whitney looks and moments, including her fun "How Will I Know" music video, the sultry "It's Not Right, But It's Okay" look and, of course, her iconic performance of the National Anthem at Super Bowl XXV.
The biopic, which is directed by Harriet director Kasi Lemmons and written by Bohemian Rhapsody's Anthony McCarten, also stars Ashton Sanders as Bobby Brown, Nafessa Williams as Robyn Crawford, Clarke Peters as John Houston, and more.
Watch the full trailer below:
Ackie spoke with ET about playing Houston last May, just after her casting was announced, and she made a point to assure fans everywhere that she was "doing the work" to prepare for the massive role.
"I’m going to try my best because that woman -- it sends shivers down my spine how much she means to me, the world, Black women, African American women," she said at the time. "I’m going to throw my everything into making sure she is represented properly.”
“I just want to tell her story. And I think when I’m able to simplify it down to that, I’ll be able to handle the pressure,” Ackie added.
I Wanna Dance With Somebody is set to release exclusively in movie theaters on Dec. 21.
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