Movies

I Wanna Dance With Somebody Trivia | 44 facts about the new biopic

“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