An authorized biopic on Houston's life was announced in early 2020, with Ackie cast in the lead role that December, and the rest of the cast signing on later the next year. Produced on a $45 million budget, filming took place in Massachusetts and New Jersey from August to December 2021.
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody was released in the United States on December 23, 2022, by Sony Pictures Releasing. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with praise going to Ackie's performance and criticisms for the film's hewing to music biopic conventions. It grossed $59.8 million.
Plot
In 1983, 19-year-old Whitney Houston's demanding professional singer mother Cissy is coaching her for a church choir. Whitney's close friendship with Robyn Crawford turns romantic, and they move in together, to Cissy's disapproval.
After Whitney's first major live performance on The Merv Griffin Show with "Home", her debut album is hugely successful. Nippy Inc., her own production company is set up and run by John, her overbearing father and self-appointed manager. Whitney proposes Robyn be her personal assistant, but he refuses due to their relationship and suggests they date men.
After recording a love song with Jermaine Jackson, they start a sexual relationship, angering Robyn. They fight and Whitney ends their romantic relationship, but they remain close. In 1987, Whitney releases her second album and the single, "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", making her a crossover success. This attracts criticism for selling out and not sounding "black enough".
At the 1988 Soul Train Music Awards, Whitney faces hostility both at the red carpet and when announced as a nominees for Best Music Video. She meets singer Bobby Brown, and soon gets engaged. Shortly afterwards, Whitney discovers he impregnated his ex-girlfriend, they argue but then reconcile.
Following a miscarriage, Whitney later marries Bobby and has daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown. One night, she returns home to find him and her credit card missing. Upon Bobby's return, Whitney finally kicks him out and loses herself in cocaine.
In 1998, Clive pressures Whitney to release a new studio album, as she hasn't for over eight years, despite releasing seven major singles and starring in three films. Whitney records the ballad "Why Does It Hurt So Bad", inspired by her and her ex, after previously resisting. Later, she confronts her father after discovering he mismanaged most of her fortune and is secretly negotiating a new $100 million contract with Arista.
Later, dealing with insomnia and stress, Whitney gets Clive to show her potential songs. Upon finding one she likes, a new studio album is released, igniting a potential comeback.
Clive warns Whitney about burning out and argues against her immediate return on tour, but she ignores him. The following tour proves exhausting, and Whitney's drug addiction catches up to her as she suffers physical and mental decline that damages her reputation. Clive urges her to enter rehab, but she refuses.
Near the tour's end, Robyn and Bobby argue, after the former attempts to get Whitney to end it early. When she insists on continuing, Robyn leaves Whitney's life after telling her John is dying in a hospital. There, Whitney is confronted with a $100 million lawsuit from Nippy, Inc. She cuts ties with him, even refusing to attend his funeral. Cissy finds Whitney in a drug-induced haze so forces her into rehab. Eventually, Whitney sobers up, reconnects with Krissy, and divorces Brown.
In February 2012, at the Beverly Hilton in LA to perform "Home" at a pre-Grammy party, Whitney's bassist Rickey suggests calling it off to rest, but she refuses. At the hotel bar, she and the bartender reminisce. In her room, a tearful Houston runs a bath as she prepares drugs she had secretly bought earlier, and sings "Home" to herself while reminiscing about her life and career before dying suddenly.
On April 22, 2020, Stella Meghie was set to direct a Whitney Houston biopic, titled I Wanna Dance with Somebody, with Anthony McCarten attached to pen the screenplay and produce the film along with Clive Davis, Pat Houston, Larry Mestel, Denis O'Sullivan and Jeff Kalligheri.[4] McCarten, who self-financed an option for Houston's life rights, wrote the script on spec, and lined up rights and music.[4][5] On August 4, 2020, TriStar Pictures acquired the film.[5] On September 1, 2021, Kasi Lemmons took over directing duties from Meghie who eventually served as an executive producer.[6]
The film was expected to begin principal photography on August 9, 2021, in Newark, New Jersey and Boston, Massachusetts, according to one source.[13] In August 2021, Compelling Pictures was in pre-production on the film at Marina Studios in Boston.[14] In October and November, scenes were shot in Arlington, Massachusetts, as well as at Worcester Regional Airport, Wang Theater, Cutler Majestic Theatre and Gillette Stadium.[15][16]
The film was released for VOD on February 7, 2023, followed by a Blu-ray and DVD release on February 28, 2023.[21] It later released on the streaming service Netflix on April 22, 2023.[22]
Reception
Box office
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody grossed $23.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $36.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $59.8 million.[2][3]
In the United States and Canada, I Wanna Dance With Somebody was released alongside Babylon, and was initially projected to gross $20–25 million from 3,625 theaters over its four-day opening weekend.[1][23] The film made $1.9 million on its first day. It went on to debut to $4.7 million in its opening weekend (and a total of $6.4 million over the four days), finishing third behind Avatar: The Way of Water and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Deadline cited the threat of a tripledemic surge in COVID-19 and flu cases and the nationwide impact of Winter Storm Elliott as reasons for lower-than-expected theater attendance.[24] The film held well in its second weekend, dropping just 16 percent to $3.9 million, finishing in fourth.[25]
In the United Kingdom, Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody debuted in second place, behind Avatar: The Way of Water. The film grossed £3.3 million ($3.9 million) in its opening weekend.[26] It held its place of second the following week, grossing £1.3 million for a total of £6.2 million ($7.5 million).[27]
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 43% of 136 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.3/10.The website's consensus reads: "Another wiki-biopic for posterity's sake, the relatively watchable I Wanna Dance with Somebody leaves you feeling like you were on stage with Whitney Houston, but didn't really get to dance with her."[28]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 51 out of 100, based on 44 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[29] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported 88% of audience members gave the film a positive score, with 68% saying they would definitely recommend it.[24]
Ackie received praise for her performance.[30][31][32][33] Critics commended Lemmons for not putting the focus on Houston's downfall, and instead foregrounding who Houston was before fame, particularly her relationship with Robyn Crawford.[31]Stephanie Zacharek of Time commented, "Lemmons is more interested in the root of Houston's tragedy than its expression, anyway. At one point, Whitney laments that it's her job to 'be everything to everyone.'"[32]
Zacharek said the film succeeds in its display of "Houston's exuberant contradictions, and the joy she both took and gave in performing. The movie isn't a melodramatic tell-all, or a total downer. But it manages, even while being unapologetically entertaining, to feel like an honest reckoning with all the things we didn't want to know about Houston at her fame's height. It's a film that takes our failings into consideration, rather than simply fixating on hers, a summation of all the things she tried to tell us and couldn't."[32] Others, like Michael Talbot-Haynes of Film Threat, believed the film should have shown the full scope of Houston's struggles with substance abuse.[33]
Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune reviewed the film positively and said: "A sexually fluid superstar with deep roots in Christianity and the bad luck of falling prey to manipulators and users within her family circle never had a fighting chance at inner peace. 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody' manages to suggest some nuance and ambiguity in Houston's key relationships, and within her own ambitions. The actors and director Lemmons accomplish what the screenplay does only partially: make us believe the circumstances and the behavior. Ashton Sanders' Bobby Brown gives us the weasel but also the man. In a role slightly larger than required, I think, Arista legend Davis has the bonus of being played by ever-wry, ever-winning Stanley Tucci."[31]
Criticisms included those of the screenplay, with some contending it felt like it was ticking off boxes on a music biopic checklist.[34] Brian Truitt of USA Today opined the film felt like a "Wikipedia entry come to life."[30] Another criticism was that some characters did not feel fully fleshed out.[30][34]
The film was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Music Editing – Feature Motion Picture at the 70th Motion Picture Sound Editors’ Golden Reel Awards.[37]
Kasi Lemmons was nominated for Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture for I Wanna Dance with Somebody at the 54th NAACP Image Awards.[38]
In 2023, the film was nominated for Best Movie at the 23rd BET Awards 2023.[12]
Related Research Articles
Whitney Elizabeth Houston was an American singer, actress, and film producer. Known as "the Voice", she is one of the most awarded entertainers and one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with sales of over 220 million records worldwide. Houston's crossover appeal on popular music charts and her performances influenced the breaking down of gender and racial barriers, as well as popular culture. Known for her vocal delivery and live concerts, Houston was ranked second by Rolling Stone on its 2023 list of the "200 Greatest Singers of All Time". Her life and career have been the subject of multiple documentaries and television specials.
Whitney is the second studio album by American singer Whitney Houston, released on June 2, 1987, by Arista Records as the follow-up to her debut album. Whitney is one of the best-selling albums of all time, with sales of over 20 million copies worldwide. The album features five top-10 hits on the US Billboard Hot 100, which also became international hits. The album's first four singles—"I Wanna Dance with Somebody ", "Didn't We Almost Have It All", "So Emotional" and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go"—all peaked at number one on the US Hot 100, making her the first female act to achieve four number-one hits from one album.
Tamara Tunie is an American film, stage, and television actress, director, and producer. She is best known for her roles as attorney Jessica Griffin on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns and as medical examiner Melinda Warner in the NBC police drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2000–2021). Tunie also appeared in films such as Rising Sun (1993), The Devil's Advocate (1997), The Caveman's Valentine (2001) receiving Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female nomination, Flight (2012), and Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022).
Kasi Lemmons is an American film director, screenwriter, and actress. She made her directorial debut with Eve's Bayou (1997), followed by Talk to Me (2007), Black Nativity (2013), Harriet (2019), and Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022). She also directed the Netflix limited series Self Made (2020), and an episode of ABC's Women of the Movement (2022).
"How Will I Know" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for her self-titled debut studio album. It was released on November 22, 1985, by Arista Records as the album's third single. Written and composed by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam, it was originally intended for pop singer Janet Jackson, who passed on it. Houston then recorded the song with altered lyrics and production from Narada Michael Walden.
"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for her second studio album, Whitney (1987). It was released as the lead single from the album on April 28, 1987, by Arista Records. It was produced by Narada Michael Walden, and written by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam, of the band Boy Meets Girl, who had previously collaborated with Houston on "How Will I Know". At the 30th Annual Grammy Awards, "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" won for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, marking Houston's second win in the category.
"So Emotional" is a song by American singer Whitney Houston. It was released as the third single from her second studio album Whitney (1987) on October 12, 1987 by Arista Records. The song was written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly and produced by Narada Michael Walden.
"I'm Your Baby Tonight" is a song by American singer Whitney Houston from her third studio album of the same name (1990). Written and produced by L.A. Reid and Babyface, in Australia and most European countries it was released as the album's lead single by Arista Records on September 28, 1990; in the United States, the release date was October 2. Following the release of her second studio album Whitney (1987), Houston became the first woman ever to debut atop the Billboard 200; despite this, critics deemed it safe and formulaic. Additionally, she was booed at the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards and accused of being "not black enough"; Houston decided she needed to change her sound if she wanted to recapture black audiences.
Anthony McCarten is a New Zealand writer and filmmaker. He is best known for writing big-budget biopics The Theory of Everything (2014), Darkest Hour (2017), Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), The Two Popes (2019), and Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022). McCarten has been nominated for four Academy Awards, including twice for Best Adapted Screenplay, for The Theory of Everything and The Two Popes.
The Moment of Truth World Tour was the second worldwide tour by American recording artist Whitney Houston and supported her multi-platinum hit album Whitney. The trek started on July 4, 1987 in North America and continued overseas during 1988 in Europe, Asia and Australia.
Bobbi Kristina Brown was an American reality television personality and singer. She was the only child of singers Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown. Her parents' fame kept Brown in the public eye, as did her appearances on the reality show Being Bobby Brown.
Whitney – The Concert for a New South Africa was the title of three concerts which American singer Whitney Houston performed in South Africa to honor President Nelson Mandela in November 1994.
Whitney is a 2015 American biographical film directed by Angela Bassett based on American singer Whitney Houston and her turbulent marriage to R&B artist Bobby Brown that premiered on Lifetime in North America on January 17, 2015. Whitney received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, with DaCosta's performance as Houston and Bassett's direction being praised but Escarpeta's casting and the film's accuracy being criticized. Bassett was nominated at the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Miniseries or TV Film and at the Black Reel Awards for Outstanding Director in a Television Miniseries or Movie.
Stella Meghie is a Canadian film director and screenwriter. She is known for her feature films Jean of the Joneses (2016), Everything, Everything (2017), The Weekend (2018), and The Photograph (2020). Meghie has also directed episodes for television series including Grown-ish, Insecure and First Wives Club.
Ashton Durrand Sanders is an American actor best known for his portrayal of teenage Chiron in the Academy Award-winning film Moonlight (2016). He has since acted in films such as The Equalizer 2 (2017), All Day and a Night (2020), and Judas and the Black Messiah (2020). He portrayed Bigger Thomas in Native Son (2019) and Bobby Brown in Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022).
Nafessa Williams is an American actress. She is best known for portraying Anissa Pierce in The CW's Black Lightning and Robyn Crawford in the 2022 Whitney Houston biopic Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody.
Whitney: Can I Be Me is a 2017 British-American documentary film that was written, co-produced by Nick Broomfield and directed by Broomfield and Rudi Dolezal. The film's subject is the life and career of singer Whitney Houston.
Naomi Sarah Ackie is an English actress. She is known for her television roles in The End of the F***ing World (2019) and Master of None (2021) and her film roles in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022), and Blink Twice (2024).
Whitney is a 2018 documentary film about the American singer and actress Whitney Houston. The film was directed by Kevin Macdonald and produced by Simon Chinn, Jonathan Chinn and Lisa Erspamer. Whitney was screened out of competition at the world premiere as part of the 2018 Cannes Film Festival on 16 May 2018 with a cinema release on 6 July 2018. The film was also released on home media where it debuted at number one on the UK Official Music Video Chart. The film received positive reviews from critics and audiences and grossed $4.7 million worldwide at the box office. In December 2018, Whitney was nominated at the 61st Grammy Awards for Best Music Film.
I Wanna Dance with Somebody is the soundtrack album to the biographical film, Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody, based on the life of American singer and actress Whitney Houston. The soundtrack was released by RCA Records on December 16, 2022, a week before the film's theatrical release. The album was produced by Rodney Jerkins and Marvin "Tony" Hemmings and executive produced by Clive Davis, who also serves as one of the producers of the film.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
