MGM announced on Thursday that it has tapped stage and television director Liesl Tommy to helm ?Respect,? the studio?s Aretha Franklin biopic.
Tommy, a South African-born American stage director, is best known for her direction of the 2016 Tony-nominated play ?Eclipsed,? which was written by ?Black Panther? star Danai Gurira.
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The film covers the life of the late Queen of Soul, from singing as a child in her father?s church?s choir to becoming an iconic superstar and civil rights activist with 20 No. 1 R&B hits and 18 Grammy Awards. Franklin, who died in August of last year, was also the first female to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and best known for her iconic single, ?Respect.?
?Eclipsed,? which tells the story of five Liberian women and their tale of survival near the end of the Second Liberian Civil War, became the first play with an all-black and female creative cast and team to premiere on Broadway. And Tommy was the first black woman to earn a Tony nomination for Best Direction of a Play.
Tommy, who has also directed episodes of ?Insecure,? ?Dietland? and ?Queen Sugar,? will direct Oscar-winning ?Dreamgirls? star Jennifer Hudson, who was handpicked by Franklin to play her. ?Nashville? creator Callie Khouri, who won an Oscar for her ?Thelma & Louise? screenplay, will pen the script.
In addition to ?Respect,? Tommy is also set to direct the film adaptation of fellow South African Trevor Noah?s autobiography ?Born A Crime,? starring Lupita Nyong?o.
Tommy is represented by WME and MGMT Entertainment; Khouri is UTA; Hudson CAA. Tradecraft is represented by UTA and Eric Sherman at Ziffren.