Trailer of I Wanna Dance With Somebody: Naomi Ackie seems transformative in Whitney Houston

The trailer highlights some of Whitney Houston's most memorable moments, including her gravity-defying 1980s hair, the deep burgundy lip from the video for "It's Not Right but It's Okay," her sequined stage jumpsuit, her white fishnet-sleeve wedding dress, the black blazer from "I Will Always Love You," and of course, the white Prada tracksuit from Super Bowl XXV. It's hard not to feel emotional as Ackie breathes new life into Houston, portraying her as a confident, confident and beautiful woman. The bulk of the trailer is backed by Houston's rendition of the song the film takes its name from, but when we finally hear Ackie speak, she's clearly done her homework. "Look, I can't sing in black, and I can't sing in white either," she told a radio DJ criticizing her music. "I can sing."

Ackie is joined by Stanley Tucci as producer Clive Davis, Ashton Sanders as Bobby Brown, Tamara Tunie as Cissy Houston, Clarke Peters as John Houston and Nafessa Williams as Robyn Crawford. This latest casting is interesting because Crawford has been very open about her and Houston's intimate relationships following her passing, an area rarely explored outside of sensationalism. The trailer misses some of the darker elements of Houston's life, but that doesn't mean the movie won't acknowledge it. Musical biopics have been turned into a science at this point, but hopefully Lemmons has some interesting choices up his sleeve.

"I Wanna Dance With Somebody" hits theaters December 21, 2022.