Naomi Ackie must’ve found a “Higher Love,” because she’s just been chosen to play Whitney Houston in the late singer’s official biopic.
Sony Pictures confirms to E! News that Naomi is in negotiations to star in its musical movie of Whitney’s life, titled I Wanna Dance With Somebody.
The 28-year-old actress already has some big credits under her belt. Naomi appeared in the 2019 film Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker as Jannah and was originally cast in the Game of Thrones prequel alongside Naomi Watts before it was scrapped.
This year, she won a BAFTA Award for portraying Bonnie in Netflix’s show The End Of The F***Ing World.
Director Stella Meghie said the creative team spent most of the past year in “an exhaustive search” for an actress that could best embody Whitney Houston. The Photograph helmer said, “Naomi Ackie impressed us at every stage of the process. I was moved by her ability to capture the stage presence of a global icon while bringing humanity to her interior life.”