'Respect' Clip: Jennifer Hudson Belts Out Aretha Franklin's Iconic Song

Next month brings a new musical biopic to theaters in the form of Respect, the story of iconic soul singer Aretha Franklin. Taking the leading role is Jennifer Hudson, who has the Herculean task of singing some of Aretha Franklin's most famous songs, as well as some lesser known tracks from throughout her career. A new Respect movie clip shows how the Oscar-winning star of Dreamgirls fares in asking for a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Watch it below.

Respect tells the story of iconic soul singer Aretha Franklin, famous for singing the titular song of the same name (and many, many others). The film follows her rise from a young girl in her father's church gospel choir through all the trials and tribulations that come with being the singing superstar known as the Queen of Soul.

In the above clip, Jennifer Hudson is belting out the iconic titular song herself. In fact, the former American Idol contestant and Oscar winner will be singing every Aretha Franklin song that we heard in the movie. She doesn't sound exactly like Aretha Franklin, but she certainly has the pipes to keep up with the singer.

Respect is directed by Liesel Tommy, marking the filmmaker's feature debut after being at the helm of episodes of TV shows like Insecure, The Walking Dead, Jessica Jones, and Mrs. Fletcher. The script comes from Tracey Scott Wilson, who has written and executive produced episodes of The Americans and Fosse/Verdon, the latter undoubtedly being helpful in crafting a music biopic. Wilson also wrote the story with Callie Khouri, the creator and producer of ABC's Nashville and writer of Thelma & Louise.

Here's the official synopsis for the Aretha Franklin biopic Respect:

Following the rise of Aretha Franklin's career from a child singing in her father's church's choir to her international superstardom, Respect is the remarkable true story of Franklin's journey to find her voice.

Respect will be released in theaters on August 13, 2021.