“Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody” is a new biopic that is based on the life of the famous singer.
So let’s dive into some trivia and facts about the film.
- Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody is a 2022 American biographical musical drama film
- It is directed by Kasi Lemmons
- From a screenplay by Anthony McCarten
- It is based on the life and career of American pop singer and actress Whitney Houston
- The film stars Naomi Ackie, Stanley Tucci, Ashton Sanders, Tamara Tunie, Nafessa Williams, and Clarke Peters
- An authorized biopic on Houston’s life was announced in early 2020
- With Ackie cast in the lead role that December
- The rest of the cast signing on later the next year
- Produced on an $45 million budget
- Filming took place in Massachusetts and New Jersey from August to December 2021
- 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
- Critics praised Ackie’s portrayal of Houston and the musical sequences
- They criticized McCarten’s screenplay
- 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
- 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 acquired the film
- On September 1, 2021, Kasi Lemmons 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, Ashton Sanders was cast as Bobby Brown, Houston’s husband of fifteen years
- The same month, Stanley Tucci was cast as Clive Davis
- In October 2021, Nafessa Williams, Clarke Peters, and Tamara Tunie were cast in the film
- 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 and Cutler Majestic Theatre and Gillette Stadium
- The soundtrack was released by RCA Records on December 16, 2022, a week before the film’s theatrical release
- As of December 26, 2022, I Wanna Dance With Somebody has grossed $7.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $2.6 million in other territories
- It has a worldwide total of $10.1 million
- In the United States and Canada, I Wanna Dance With Somebody was released alongside Babylon
- It 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 just $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 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
- On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 46% rating
- Based on 92 critics’ reviews
- 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”
- Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 55 out of 100
- Based on 28 critics
- Indicating “mixed or average reviews”
- 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
Got anything to add?