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.

CAST:

Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin

Forest Whitaker as C.L. Franklin

Marlon Wayans as Ted White

Audra McDonald as Barbara Franklin

Tituss Burgess as Reverend Dr. James Cleveland

Marc Maron as Jerry Wexler

Kimberly Scott as Mama Franklin

Saycon Sengbloh 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

Mary J. Blige as Dinah Washington

Director Liesl Tommy makes her feature film debut with Respect. Tommy is the first Black woman ever nominated for a Tony award for Best Direction of a Play in 2016 for Eclipsed, and is an Associate Artist at the Berkeley Rep and an Artist Trustee with the Sundance Institute’s Board of Trustees.

With a story by Callie Khouri (Oscar winner for 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.