Within 10 years of her death Whitney Houstonfour films have attempted to tell her story.

In a brief flashback, they released an unauthorized documentary endorsed by the Houston heirs, a TV movie and a feature film focusing on the popular singer and actress’s relationship with her daughter, Bobbi Kristina.

The first big-budget Hollywood biopic is expected to hit theaters in a few days.”I want to dance with someone” in process Anthony McCarten starring Naomi Aki. McCarten recently told The Guardian that films made in previous years have something in common. “It’s an obsession with the mistakes Whitney Houston has made in her life. It was too scripted.”

But at the same time, she believes that they accurately reflect the public’s biased attitude towards her life and career. “When people hear the name Whitney Houston, inevitably the first word that comes to their mind is ‘tragedy’. It’s a universal concept.”

His film somewhat “corrects” these ideas. This is a fascinating, heartbreaking and emotional journey through her life and career.

“I Wanna Dance With Somebody” is a project that involved Whitney’s sister-in-law and film producer Pat Houston, as well as Primary Wave, a production company that controls much of her music rights. However, McCarten said he did not give them control over the content.

According to those involved, there are scenes in the film that the heirs of Whitney Houston did not like. “The biggest challenge was dealing with people who have real feelings, memories and opinions about the star. They approved the script, but the film was completely different.”

“I wanted to focus on her accomplishments”

The filmmakers admit that their main goal was to honor the memory of the singer, despite the fact that the film includes some “dark” and controversial details of her story. “I wanted to focus on her accomplishments,” McCarten says.

On the other hand, much of the film is dedicated to the creation and interpretation of her music. At the same time, the music sounds very different from what it sounds like in studio recordings, live concerts or TV performances.

The new film is more direct about the challenges Houston has faced in her life around racism. Like the whistle at the Soul Train Awards and the radio interview when the DJ said her music was “white”. These accusations hurt her deeply.

Despite many sad moments, the film manages to show Houston’s magnificence primarily through the footage that the creators had and access to more music than previous directors who brought her life to the big screen.

Given the power of these performances, as well as the love that Houston has felt in her life, McCarten refuses to portray her as a tragic figure. On the contrary, he said that, despite all the difficulties, there were many wonderful moments in the singer’s daily life too.

I Want to Dance with Someone will be released in Greek cinemas on December 29, 2022.

According to The Guardian