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Aretha-Franklin

Lifetime is lining up yet another biopic! This time they’ll be telling the life story of living legend Aretha Franklin!

We don’t know what’s gotten into Lifetime lately, but the network has been on a tear to give its viewers the inside story on some of their favorite entertainers. First, they confirmed a Whitney Houston biopic with Yaya DaCosta in the lead role. Then it drew a lot of criticism for casting Zendaya to play Aaliyah in her long-awaited biopic. There’s even going to be a movie about what went down behind-the-scenes on “Saved By The Bell”! Seeing a pattern here?

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Unlike the projects featuring Whitney and Aaliyah, Lifetime won’t be going against the grain to tell Aretha’s story. In fact, they’d have her whole-hearted approval and assistance. The “Respect” diva is ready to sign a movie deal with the cable channel.

“We’re very, very close to signatures on one agreement,” she told Billboard.com. “It’s just a matter of our coming to terms and agreeing about what we’re doing to do.”

In the past, Aretha has been very vocal on her casting choices, pegging Halle Berry her top pick to play her. “Right now it could be one of several people,” she explained. “There’s always the producers’ book, who the producer wants you to consider, and sometimes unknown names.”

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If it were totally up to Aretha, she’s thinking that Jennifer Hudson might be a good fit for the role. She’s eyeing history-making Tony Award Winner Audra McDonald, too!

“Audra’s got a great voice to work with, but she’s very Broadway oriented,” Franklin notes. “but that doesn’t mean she cannot perform in the arena of soul, so that’s why I’m interested in hearing how she would sing my things. The singing is certainly going to be a very, very integral and important part of it.”

If we had our say, we think Trina Braxton might be a good casting choice.

While plans for her biopic are still coming together, Aretha is focusing her energy on finishing up her divas cover album. The project will feature Aretha singing her renditions of songs like “Midnight Train To Georgia,” “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” and “Rolling In The Deep.”

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And Another One: Aretha Franklin In Talks For Lifetime Biopic  was originally published on hellobeautiful.com