‘Genius: Aretha’ Showrunner Suzan-Lori Parks on Meeting Aretha Franklin Over the Phone

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorDouble Oscar nominee Leslie Odom Jr. was among the craftsmen and craftswomen at Variety‘s Artisans Awards offering advice on how to get into the field they work in.

Halle Berry, Selena Gomez, Gabrielle Union and more are sending their support to trans women and girls. The stars are among over 440 signatories of an open letter supporting the community, in observance of Women’s History Month and Transgender Day of Visibility.

Halle Berry,Selena Gomez, Gabrielle Union and more are sending their support to trans women and girls.

The Cinequest Film and Creativity Festival and Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) have announced the launch of their inaugural Laura Ziskin Visionary Award.Named after the late film producer, the award will recognize leaders in the film industry whose work exemplifies groundbreaking collaboration. This year’s recipients will be Andra Day and director Lee Daniels for their collaboration on “The United States vs.

Chris Willman Music WriterThere is even more genius to go around in the story that “Genius: Aretha Franklin” tells than just Aretha’s own. Her classic records wouldn’t have stood the test of more than four and five decades without the chemistry she and her voice formed with the musicians that gave the music its masterful groove.

the Queen of Soul! In celebration of iconic songstress Aretha Franklin, on what would have been her 79th birthday, the two acclaimed actresses portraying her in upcoming biopics are honoring her legacy.Jennifer Hudson took to Instagram on Thursday to show the progress of her mural of Franklin's face, created in spray paint.«Royalty! Sharing the making of My Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul mural in honor of the Queens birthday on today!» wrote Hudson, who portrays Franklin in the upcoming biopic

There was no one quite like Aretha Franklin. The powerhouse singer, dubbed the “Queen of Soul,” paved the way for so many artists during her time as a lauded entertainer. Breaking barriers and creating some of the biggest hits in music history, Aretha was a towering force in the Civil Rights movement and beyond. On what would have been the Queen of Soul’s 79th birthday, let’s take a look back at her life in photographs and some of the highlights of her brilliant career.

Aretha Franklin's family is unhappy with the music legend's latest depiction. The "Respect" singer is the subject of the third season of National Geographic's popular anthology series "Genius," which will air two episodes on Tuesday and conclude the season with two more episodes on Wednesday.

Aretha Franklin‘s family is not happy with the upcoming NatGeo limited series Genius: Aretha based on the late singer’s life.

Aretha Franklin’s family have spoken out against the new Genius biopic series depicting the star, saying they “do not support” it.The series has been produced by National Geographic and stars Cynthia Erivo as the late soul singer. It premieres in the US today (March 21).Franklin’s granddaughter Grace recently posted on TikTok about the show and her family’s feelings on it.

Aretha Franklin, died in 2018, she had already anointed who should immortalize her on screen: Jennifer Hudson, who will star in the biopic “Respect,” due in August.But it’s Tony-winning actress Cynthia Erivo (“The Color Purple”) who first brings Franklin back to life in “Genius: Aretha,” the third installment in the National Geographic anthology series following previous seasons on Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso.

National Geographic’s “Genius: Aretha” is set to premiere on Sunday, March 21, featuring Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo as the legendary Queen of Soul.