Naomi Ackie to star as Whitney Houston in biopic

Naomi Ackie is reportedly in final talks to portray Whitney Houston in the upcoming musical biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody.

The Sony film will be directed by Stella Meghie and has a screenplay by Bohemian Rhapsody writer Anthony McCarten.

Variety reports that I Wanna Dance With Somebody follows the life story of the iconic artist behind hits like I Will Always Love You and How Will I Know. Houston, who won six Grammys in her musical career, made her acting debut with the 1992 blockbuster hit The Bodyguard. She also recorded six songs for the film’s soundtrack, including I Will Always Love You.

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

Notably, Ackie recently won a BAFTA for her role in Netflix’s The End of the F***Ing World. She has also appeared in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Steve McQueen’s anthology series Small Axe.