Aretha Franklin's biopic has a new date.
"Respect," starring Jennifer Hudson as the Queen of Soul, will get a full-scale release on Jan. 15 _ Martin Luther King's birthday _ a film rep confirmed to the Detroit Free Press.
The film had been scheduled for a limited Christmas week debut, to make it eligible for Academy Awards consideration, with wider release to follow. There's less rush now: The Oscars announced last month that this year's qualification window has been extended to Feb. 28.
"Respect," directed by Liesl Tommy, features Hudson in the lead role, with Forest Whitaker as the Rev. C.L. Franklin and Marlon Wayans as husband-manager Ted White.
Shooting wrapped just before the coronavirus pandemic shut down productions across the U.S. in March.
Hudson helped hype the movie with a much-viewed performance of "Young, Gifted and Black" at June's BET Awards, which was followed by release of the movie's first still images and a new teaser-trailer.
