Mary J. Blige has joined the cast of Respect, a biopic about the legendary Aretha Franklin. Blige has been cast as Dinah Washington, a prominent figure in the jazz scene during the 1950s.
Blige will accompany fellow singer Jennifer Hudson, who scored the lead role as Franklin. Other notable additions include Marlon Wayans, Forest Whitaker, Audra McDonald and Marc Maron.
The movie, which will be directed by Liesl Tommy and distributed by MGM Studios, begins filming next month and is projected to hit theaters in August 2020.
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