... With somebody

BAFTA winner Naomi Ackie stars as the late, troubled singer who was the voice of a generation.

The powerhouse voice of Whitney Houston is about to command cinema screens in a biopic that will tell the humble beginnings of a star who would eventually become a household name across the world.

'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' hits cinemas during that perfect cinema-going window between Christmas and New Year's, and stars Naomi Ackie as the acclaimed songstress who rose to fame after taking over from her mother, Cissy Houston, one night in a New York nightclub. At first a fashion model, Houston's voice eventually began to outshine her runways and she went on to win countless accolades including Emmy Awards, Grammys and a posthumous spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Ackie is known for her roles in TV series such as 'Master of None', 'Small Axe' and 'The End of the F***ing World' (the latter she won a BAFTA Award for), but has also appeared in the final Star Wars entry 'The Rise of Skywalker'. Ackie also executive produced.

Joining the cast is the beloved Stanley Tucci ('The Hunger Games', 'Supernova') who stars as Clive Davis, the Grammy Award-winning record producer who played a big role in making Houston a star. The real-life Davis (now aged 90) was on board the project as a producer.

Also part of the cast is Ashton Sanders ('Moonlight'), Tamara Tunie ('Wall Street'), Nafessa Williams (who also strangely starred in Angela Bassett's 'Whitney' film from 2015), and Clarke Peters ('The Wire'). The film is directed by Kasi Lemmons ('Luke Cage', 'Self Made') and Anthony McCarten of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' fame wrote the script.

Here's the trailer for the Whitney Houston biopic.

'I Wanna Dance with Somebody' is a powerful and triumphant celebration of the incomparable Whitney Houston ans is a no-holds-barred portrait of the complex and multifaceted woman behind The Voice. From New Jersey choir girl to one of the best-selling and most awarded recording artists of all time, audiences are taken on an inspirational, poignant—and so emotional—journey through Houston’s trailblazing life and career, with show-stopping performances and a soundtrack of the icon’s most beloved hits as you’ve never heard them before.

'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' hits Irish cinemas on December 26.