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National Geographic, with Imagine Television Studios and Fox 21 Television Studios, announced today that Tony\u00ae-, Emmy\u00ae- and Grammy\u00ae Award-winning Cynthia Erivo (\u201cHarriet,\u201d Broadway\u2019s \u201cThe Color Purple\u201d) will star as Aretha Franklin in the next installment of the Emmy-winning global anthology series Genius: Aretha. This upcoming season will be the first-ever, definitive and only authorized scripted limited series on the life of the universally acclaimed Queen of Soul. Filming will start this November for a spring 2020 premiere on National Geographic channels in 172 countries and 43 languages.<\/p>\n
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The production will feature many of Franklin\u2019s biggest recordings and hit songs from the comprehensive Warner Music catalogue, including \u201cI Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You),\u201d \u201cChain of Fools,\u201d \u201cDon\u2019t Play That Song,\u201d \u201cSince You\u2019ve Been Gone\u201d and \u201cBaby I Love You.\u201d In addition, the series will feature Franklin\u2019s performances of \u201cI Knew You Were Waiting for Me,\u201d \u201cFreeway of Love\u201d and \u201cSisters Are Doin\u2019 It for Themselves.\u201d Erivo will also be performing many of the songs from Franklin\u2019s rich catalogue.<\/p>\n
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\u201cAretha Franklin has been a source of inspiration for me since I was a little girl,\u201d<\/strong> said Erivo. \u201cHer strength, passion and soul are evident in her everlasting legacy, not only as a transcendent artist, but as a humanitarian and civil rights icon. To have the opportunity to bring her legacy to life and show the fullness of her being, her humanity and brilliance, is an honor. What I know and have learned about what my voice, as an artist, can do and the power in it has been highly influenced by Franklin. I feel privileged and excited to be a part of the sharing of her genius.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cCynthia Erivo blew me away. Not only is she an incredible and bona fide star, but she is soulful and has tremendous depth as a musical artist,\u201d<\/strong> said Brian Grazer. \u201cCynthia is the perfect person to portray the profoundly human story behind the genius that is Aretha.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Ms. Franklin\u2019s niece Sabrina Owens said, \u201cFor GENIUS to honor Aretha is a great affirmation of her legacy, and Cynthia Erivo is an extraordinary talent with an amazing voice!\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe fabulously talented Cynthia Erivo is dream casting to play iconic musical genius Aretha Franklin,\u201d<\/strong> said Carolyn Bernstein, EVP, global scripted content and documentary films, National Geographic. \u201cOn the heels of her Tony Award-winning turn in \u2018The Color Purple\u2019 and breakout performance in upcoming feature film \u2018Harriet,\u2019 we can\u2019t wait to see Cynthia bring her fierceness to the role as the Queen of Soul.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Erivo is a Tony-, Emmy- and Grammy Award-winning actress who burst onto West End and Broadway stages in \u201cThe Color Purple\u201d and has taken the big screen by storm. Erivo will next star in Kasi Lemmons\u2019 \u201cHarriet,\u201d in which she will bring the legacy of Harriet Tubman to the big screen. On the television side, she will star in the HBO series \u201cThe Outsider,\u201d based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. Erivo will also star alongside Daisy Ridley and David Oyelowo in the anticipated sci-fi thriller \u201cChaos Walking,\u201d from director Doug Liman, and in John Ridley\u2019s \u201cNeedle in a Timestack\u201d alongside Orlando Bloom, Freida Pinto and Leslie Odom Jr. In addition, Erivo is set to executive produce and star in Warner Bros.\u2019 musical take on the American folk tale of \u201cRip Van Winkle.\u201d<\/p>\n GENIUS dramatizes the fascinating stories of the world\u2019s most brilliant innovators, exploring their extraordinary achievements along with their volatile, passionate and complex personal relationships. The third season of the anthology series will explore Franklin\u2019s musical genius and incomparable career, as well as the immeasurable impact and lasting influence she has had on music and culture around the world. Grammy Award winner Franklin was a gospel prodigy and outspoken civil rights champion and is widely considered to be the greatest singer of the past 50 years, receiving countless honors throughout her career.<\/p>\n Without knowing how to read music, Franklin taught herself to play the piano; at the young age of 12, she began to record songs and sing on gospel tours with her father. She signed her first record deal at age 18 with Columbia Records. In 1966 she moved to Atlantic Records, where she recorded many of her most iconic songs. In 1979 she began a 40-year friendship and partnership with Clive Davis, which produced a number of hit songs, including the highest charting and bestselling song of her career, \u201cI Knew You Were Waiting (For Me),\u201d a duet with George Michael. The legendary singer is one of the world\u2019s bestselling musical artists of all time, with more than 75 million records sold globally during her career. Her voice was identified as a \u201cnatural resource\u201d by her home state of Michigan.<\/p>\n Previously announced, Suzan-Lori Parks, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of \u201cTopdog\/Underdog,\u201d is executive producer and showrunner for GENIUS: ARETHA. Imagine is partnering with Warner Music Group for this third season, which will again be executive produced by Imagine\u2019s Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Francie Calfo. Legendary hit record producer Clive Davis and Atlantic Records Chairman and CEO Craig Kallman have also joined as executive producers. Returning executive producers include Ken Biller (Genius: Einstein, Genius: Picasso), Gigi Pritzker and Rachel Shane (MWM Studios), and Sam Sokolow (EUE\/Sokolow). Diana Son joins as executive producer. In addition, Imagine\u2019s Anna Culp serves as producer alongside Peter Afterman.<\/p>\n Erivo is repped by United Talent Agency, ID, Authentic Talent & Literary Management, and Pekioff Mahan.<\/p>\n National Geographic, the company behind the recent Oscar-winning and seven Emmy-winning FREE SOLO, in 2017 premiered the first season of GENIUS, which starred Geoffrey Rush as the brilliant scientist Albert Einstein. Biller was showrunner and creator for the multi-Emmy-winning GENIUS: PICASSO and GENIUS: EINSTEIN. GENIUS: EINSTEIN earned 10 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Limited Series, as well as Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations for Rush. The follow-up season, GENIUS: PICASSO, starred Antonio Banderas as the titular Spanish painter and matched much of the success of its predecessor, earning seven Emmy nominations \u2014 and two wins \u2014 as well as Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations for Banderas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"