Who is Naomi Ackie, playing Whitney Houston in her biopic? The I Wanna Dance with Somebody and Star Wars actress is also set to appear in Zoë Kravitz’s film and was nearly in a Game of Thrones prequel

Dec 15 , 2022

Naomi Ackie is set to play the legendary superstar Whitney Houston in the family-approved biopic I Wanna Dance with Somebody, releasing globally on December 23. Photo: @OolaFanForever/Twitter

Naomi Ackie stars as legendary pop superstar Whitney Houston in the family-approved biopic I Wanna Dance with Somebody, releasing globally on December 23

The London-born actress made her debut with Doctor Who and has since won a Bafta, landed a gig with Parasite director’s Bong Joon-ho in Mickey17, and loves Versace and Loewe

Whitney Houston’s sparkling legacy will go on. This year, it’ll come in the form of a biopic celebrating the legendary superstar’s biggest moments in music history – without shying away from the struggles she faced in her personal life.

I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY - Official Trailer (HD)

The Sony production is named after one of her hit songs “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” and is set to debut globally on December 23.

Singer Whitney Houston is seen performing on stage during the World Music Awards at the Thomas and Mack Center in 2004, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo: Getty Images

Houston’s estate was reportedly very involved in the making of the film, with sister-in-law Pat Houston at the helm alongside manager Clive Davis and Bohemian Rhapsody screenwriter Anthony McCarten, per Collider.

The Houston estate will be making big bucks this festive season with Whitney’s biopic, I Wanna Dance with Somebody. Photo: Handout

It comes hot on the heels of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s Elvis biopic released earlier this year, another music icon deserving of a dedicated film for fans spanning over five generations.

Whitney Houston’s biopic I Wanna Dance with Somebody stars Naomi Ackie. Photo: Handout

So who will be taking on the Hollywood adaptation of Houston? British actress Naomi Ackie was carefully selected to fill the talented pop diva’s shoes. If she looks familiar to you, that’s because she probably is, having starred in a string of popular films and TV shows lately.