''Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody'' is a 2022 American

biographical A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or c ...

musical drama film directed by

Kasi Lemmons Kasi Lemmons (; born Karen Lemmons, February 24, 1961) 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 ...

, from a screenplay by

Anthony McCarten Anthony McCarten (born 28 April 1961) 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 ...

, based on the life and career of American singer and actress

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed " The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston i ...

. The film stars Naomi Ackie as Houston with

Stanley Tucci Stanley Tucci Jr. ( ; born November 11, 1960) is an American actor and filmmaker. Involved in acting from a young age, he made his film debut in John Huston's '' Prizzi's Honor'' (1985), and continued to play a variety of supporting roles in fil ...

Ashton Sanders Ashton Durrand Sanders (born October 24, 1995) is an American actor best known for his portrayal of teenage Chiron in the Academy Award-winning film '' Moonlight'' (2016). Early life Sanders was born in Carson, California. He attended Grand A ...

Tamara Tunie Tamara Tunie (born March 14, 1959) 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'' (1987–1995, 2000–2007, 2009 ...

Nafessa Williams Nafessa Williams is an American actress. She is most known for her 2011 role as Nicole Gordon in the Meek Mill film ''Streets'', her 2011 role as Deanna Forbes on the ABC soap opera '' One Life to Live'', and her 2016 role as Dr. Charlotte Piel ...

, and

Clarke Peters Peter Clarke (born April 7, 1952), known professionally as Clarke Peters, is an American-British actor, writer, and director. He is best known for his roles as Lester Freamon in the television series ''The Wire'' (2002–2008) and Albert Lambrea ...

in supporting roles. 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, who praised the performances of Ackie and Tucci as well as the music sequences, but criticized the screenplay.

Plot

In 1983, 19-year-old

is being coached by her mother

Cissy Cissy, Cissie or Cissi may refer to : People * Cissy Chandler (died 1954), wife of American author Raymond Chandler * Cissie Caudeiron (1909–1968), Creole nationalist and folklorist * Cissi Elwin Frenkel (born 1965), Swedish journalist and te ...

while leading a church choir in

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. A professional singer herself, Cissy pushes her daughter to be better, though being hard on her at times. Whitney finds solace in a friendship with

Robyn Crawford Robyn Crawford (born December 17, 1960) is an American author, producer, and former assistant to and creative director for Whitney Houston. Her credits include '' The Bodyguard'' (1992), ''Waiting to Exhale'' (1995), '' In Between'' (1987), and ...

, which turns romantic, and they later move into their own apartment, much to the chagrin of Cissy. One night, Cissy and Whitney are set to perform at the Sweetwaters nightclub. After spotting producer Clive Davis in the audience, Cissy feigns sickness and encourages Whitney to open the show. Whitney performs "

The Greatest Love of All "The Greatest Love of All" is a song written by Michael Masser, who composed the music, and Linda Creed, who wrote the lyrics. It was originally recorded in 1977 by George Benson, who made the song a substantial hit, peaking at number two on the ...

", which impresses Davis, who signs Whitney to Arista Records. He books her for her first major live performance on ''

The Merv Griffin Show ''The Merv Griffin Show'' is an American television talk show starring Merv Griffin. The series ran from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963 on NBC, May 10, 1965 to July 4, 1969 in first-run syndication, from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972 ...

'', where she gives a performance of " Home". Soon afterwards, Whitney releases a highly successful debut album, and sets up her production company, Nippy Inc., run by her overbearing father and self-appointed manager, John. When Whitney wants to hire Crawford as a personal assistant, John refuses due to their personal relationship and tells the pair to date men, to Robyn's dismay. After recording a love song with

Jermaine Jackson Jermaine La Jaune Jackson (born December 11, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and bassist. He is best known for being a member of the Jackson family. From 1964 to 1975, Jermaine was second vocalist after his brother Michael of The Jackso ...

, the two start a sexual relationship, which angers Robyn. After a fight, Robyn breaks down and Whitney ends their romantic relationship, but remain close friends. In 1987, Whitney releases her sophomore album and its leading single, " I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", which makes her a crossover success. However, she is accused by a radio show interviewer of selling out and not sounding "black enough", to which Whitney angrily defends herself. Attending the ''

Soul Train Music Awards The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards show which previously aired in national broadcast syndication, and honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the makers of '' Soul Train'', the p ...

'' in 1988, Whitney is met with protesters at the red carpet and her name is booed after singer

Anita Baker Anita Denise Baker (born January 26, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter. She is one of the most popular singers of soulful ballads, especially renowned for her work during the height of the quiet storm period in the 1980s. Starting her career ...

announces her as one of the nominees for

Best Music Video The Grammy Award for Best Music Video is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos. Hon ...

. Whitney meets singer

Bobby Brown Robert Barisford Brown (born February 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter and dancer. Brown, alongside frequent collaborator Teddy Riley, is noted as one of the pioneers of new jack swing: a fusion of hip hop and R&B. Brown started h ...

and the two start to date; eventually, Bobby proposes to her in their limousine, and she accepts. Shortly afterward, Bobby informs her that he impregnated his ex-girlfriend, leading an enraged Whitney to storm out of the limousine, but they quickly reconcile. In the early 1990s Whitney is at her peak, performing the " Star Spangled Banner" at

Super Bowl XXV Super Bowl XXV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Buffalo Bills and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the ...

and acting in the film ''The Bodyguard'', and going on

tour Tour or Tours may refer to: Travel * Tourism, travel for pleasure * Tour of duty, a period of time spent in military service * Campus tour, a journey through a college or university's campus * Guided tour, a journey through a location, directed ...

, performing " I Will Always Love You" at a stadium in South Africa for newly inaugurated president Nelson Mandela. Following a miscarriage, she later marries Bobby and has a daughter,

Bobbi Kristina Brown Bobbi Kristina Houston Brown (March 4, 1993 – July 26, 2015) was an American reality television personality. She was the daughter and only child of singers Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown. Her parents' fame kept Brown in the public eye, ...

. One right, Whitney returns home to find Bobby gone and her credit card missing. When he returns the following morning, the two argue, resulting in her throwing him out of the house and using drugs to cope. In 1998, Clive meets with Whitney to discuss her not releasing a new studio album in over eight years, despite releasing seven major singles and starring in three films. Inspired by her tumultuous relationship with Brown, Whitney records the ballad " Why Does It Hurt So Bad", despite rejecting it several times before. Later, she confronts her father about spending too much of her money on expensive gifts and then discovers that John has been negotiating a new $100 million contract with Arista behind her back. Later, dealing with insomnia, Whitney goes to Clive's hotel room and asks him to show her potential songs. Upon finding one she likes, a new studio album is released. The following

is exhausting, and leads to Houston having a mental and physical decline in which she descends to drug addiction, damaging her voice and reputation. Davis 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 return home and end the tour. In the end, she chooses to continue the tour, leading to Robyn leaving Whitney's life. Before leaving, she later tells her that her father is dying in a hospital. There, Whitney is confronted with a $100 million lawsuit from John's company. She cuts ties with her father, even refusing to attend his funeral. Cissy finds her daughter in a drug-induced haze and orders her to rehab by a police order. Eventually, Whitney sobers up, reconnects with daughter Krissy, and divorces Brown. In 2009, Houston attempts a comeback with a new album and performs one of its tracks on ''

The Oprah Winfrey Show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicago, Illinois. Produced ...

''. Following the performance, Clive visits Whitney and she tells him that she is interested in going back on tour, but Clive advises her to rest. But she goes on with the

, which proves disastrous and prompts walkouts due to her performance. In February 2012, Houston arrives at

the Beverly Hilton The Beverly Hilton is a hotel located on an property at the intersection of Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards in Beverly Hills, California. The Beverly Hilton has hosted many awards shows, charity benefits, and entertainment and motion pic ...

in Los Angeles to perform "Home" at a pre-Grammy party. Her bassist Rickey advises her to call it off and rest, but she refuses. At the hotel's bar, she and the bartender reminisce. In her hotel room, a tearful Whitney begins running bath water and sings "Home" to herself while reminiscing about her life and career before dying suddenly. In a flashback, Houston sings a medley of "

I Loves You, Porgy "I Loves You, Porgy" is a duet from the 1935 opera ''Porgy and Bess'' with music by George Gershwin and lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was performed in the opera's premiere in 1935 and on Broadway the same year by Anne Brown and Todd Duncan. They re ...

", "

And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" (also known in short as just "And I Am Telling You") is a torch song from the Broadway musical '' Dreamgirls'', with lyrics by Tom Eyen and music by Henry Krieger. In the context of the musical, "And I Am ...

", and "

I Have Nothing "I Have Nothing" is a song by American singer and actress Whitney Houston, released on February 20, 1993 as the third single from '' The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album'' (1992) by Arista Records. The song was written by David Foster and L ...

", which is met with a standing ovation.

Cast

* Naomi Ackie as

as Clive Davis, Whitney's record producer and supportive friend *

, Whitney's husband *

as Cissy Houston, Whitney's mother *

, Whitney's friend, assistant, Williams also previously played another character in a 2015 television film about Whitney Houston. *

as John Houston, Whitney's strict father * Dave Heard as

Rickey Minor Rickey Minor is an American bass player, music director, composer and music producer. He was the musical director and bandleader on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' from 2010 to 2014, taking over after Kevin Eubanks left. Minor worked as mus ...

, Whitney's musical director * Bria Danielle Singleton as

, Whitney and Bobby's teenage daughter ** Bailee Lopes as young Bobbi Kristina Brown * Kris Sidberry as Patricia "Pat" Houston, Whitney's sister-in-law

Production

On April 22, 2020,

Stella Meghie 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 e ...

was set to direct a Whitney Houston biopic, titled ''I Wanna Dance with Somebody'', with

attached to pen the screenplay and produce the film along with Clive Davis, Pat Houston, Larry Mestel, Denis O'Sullivan and Jeff Kalligheri. McCarten, who self-financed an option for Houston's life rights, wrote the script on spec, and lined up rights and music. On August 4, 2020,

TriStar Pictures TriStar Pictures, Inc. (spelled as Tri-Star until 1991) is an American film studio and production company that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, part of the multinational conglomerate Sony. It is a corporate sibling of Sony ...

acquired the film. On September 1, 2021,

took over directing duties from Meghie who eventually served as an executive producer. On December 15, 2020, Naomi Ackie was set to portray Houston. In September 2021,

was cast as

, Houston's husband of fifteen years. The same month,

was cast as Clive Davis. In October 2021,

and

were cast in the film, and

was cast as

, replacing Moses Ingram. The film was expected to begin principal photography on August 9, 2021, in Newark, New Jersey and Boston, Massachusetts, according to one source. In August 2021, Compelling Pictures was in pre-production on the film at Marina Studios in Boston. 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.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack was released by

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

on December 16, 2022. It includes two hours of remixed and original versions of Houston's songs, with guest features by BeBe Winans,

Clean Bandit Clean Bandit are an English electronic music group, formed in Cambridge in 2008. They have had four number 1 hits and ten top 10 hits on the UK Singles Chart. They direct and produce their own music videos, many of which have been nominated for ...

Kygo Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll (born 11 September 1991), known professionally as Kygo (), is a Norwegian DJ and music producer. He garnered international attention with his December 2013 remix of the track " I See Fire" by Ed Sheeran and his December 20 ...

Lucky Daye David Debrandon Brown (born September 25, 1985), professionally known as Lucky Daye, is an American singer-songwriter from New Orleans. He is signed to Keep Cool Records and RCA Records. He released his first EP, ''I'' on November 9, 2018 and his ...

SG Lewis SG, Sg or sg may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * "SG" (song), a 2021 song by DJ Snake, Ozuna, Lisa, and Megan Thee Stallion * Gibson SG, an electric guitar manufactured by Gibson Guitar Corporation * SG Wannabe, a South Korean music gr ...

, Samaria,

Jax Jones Timucin Lam (born Timucin Fabian Kwong Wah Aluo; 25 July 1987), known professionally as Jax Jones, is an English DJ, songwriter, record producer and remixer. He rose to fame in 2014 by featuring on Duke Dumont's number-one single "I Got U". He ...

Leikeli47 Leikeli47 (or Leikeli) is an American rapper signed to RCA Records. In 2018, she released her second full-length album, ''Acrylic.'' She is known for concealing her face with a bandana or balaclava at all performances and professional appearan ...

P2J Richard Olowaranti Mbu Isong (born 11 July 1987), professionally known as P2J is a Nigerian-British producer from London, England. He is best known for his work with the likes of Beyoncé, Wizkid, Stormzy, FKA Twigs, Burna Boy, Tems, Doja Cat & ...

, Oxlade, and

Pheelz Phillip Kayode Moses (born 5 June 1994), better known as Pheelz, is a Nigerian record producer, singer and songwriter who has worked with several artists and musicians, such as Olamide and Tiwa Savage. Born and raised in Lagos, Pheelz is credi ...

Release

The film had its world premiere at the AMC Lincoln Square in New York City in December 13, 2022, and was released theatrically on December 23, 2022 by Sony Pictures Releasing. The film was released for VOD on February 7, 2023, followed by a

Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...

and

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

release on February 28, 2023.

Reception

Box office

, ''Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody'' has grossed $23.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $35.7 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $59.3 million. In the United States and Canada, ''I Wanna Dance With Somebody'' was released alongside '' Babylon'', and was initially projected to gross $12–15 million from 3,625 theaters over its four-day opening weekend. The film made $2 million on its first day, including $750,000 from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $5.3 million in its opening weekend (and a total of $7.5 million over the four days), finishing third behind '' Avatar: The Way of Water'' and '' Puss in Boots: The Last Wish''. ''

Deadline Deadline(s) or The Deadline(s) may refer to: * Time limit, a narrow field of time by which an objective must be accomplished Arts, entertainment, and media Comics * Deadline (DC Comics), a fictional villain * ''Deadline'' (magazine), a British ...

'' cited the threat of a tripledemic surge in

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

and flu cases and the nationwide impact of Winter Storm Elliott as reasons for lower-than-expected theater attendance. The film held well in its second weekend, dropping just 16 percent to $3.9 million, finishing in fourth. 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. It held its place of second the following week, grossing £1.3 million for a total of £6.2 million ($7.5 million).

Critical response

Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while

PostTrak PostTrak is a U.S.-based service that surveys film audiences for film studios. History The service conducts surveys in the top 20 markets in the U.S. and Canada with the use of polling cards and electronic kiosks. A PostTrak report for a film ...

reported 88% of audience members gave the film a positive score, with 68% saying they would definitely recommend it.

Accolades

The film was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature at the

21st Visual Effects Society Awards 21st Visual Effects Society Awards February 15, 2023 ---- Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature: ''Avatar: The Way of Water'' ---- Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode: ''The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power'' - "U ...

. Naomi Ackie was nominated for the EE Rising Star award for ''I Wanna Dance with Somebody'' at the

76th British Academy Film Awards 76th may refer to: *76th Academy Awards ceremony honored films of 2003 * 76th Air Army, an air army of the Soviet Air Forces from 1949 to 1980 and from 1988 to 1998 * 76th Air Assault Division (Russia), a division of the Russian Airborne Troops bas ...

. The film was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Music Editing – Feature Motion Picture at the 70th Motion Picture Sound Editors’ Golden Reel Awards. Kasi Lemmons was nominated for Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture for ''I Wanna Dance with Somebody'' at the 54th NAACP Image Awards.

References

External links

* * * {{Kasi Lemmons 2022 films 2022 biographical drama films 2022 LGBT-related films 2020s American films 2020s English-language films 2020s historical films 2020s musical drama films 2020s biographical films American biographical drama films American historical films African-American films African-American biographical dramas American LGBT-related films American musical drama films Biographical films about musicians Biographical films about singers Cultural depictions of American women Cultural depictions of pop musicians Cultural depictions of soul musicians American films based on actual events LGBT-related films based on actual events LGBT-related biographical films Drama films based on actual events Films directed by Kasi Lemmons Films impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic Films set in 1983 Films set in 1985 Films set in 1987 Films set in 1989 Films set in 1992 Films set in 1994 Films set in 1998 Films set in 2000 Films set in 2006 Films set in 2009 Films set in 2012 Films set in the 1980s Films set in the 1990s Films set in the 2000s Films set in the 2010s Films set in New Jersey Films with screenplays by Anthony McCarten TriStar Pictures films Whitney Houston Films shot in Massachusetts TSG Entertainment films