Jennifer Hudson Sings as Aretha Franklin in the First 'Respect' Trailer

The first trailer for Respect is here andJennifer Hudson (opens in new tab) is Aretha Franklin in the clip.

Hudson was tapped (opens in new tab) to play the soulful R&B singer and civil rights activist in the upcoming biopic, which is scheduled to hit theaters later this year, on October 9.

In the teaser trailer, the Hudson takes center stage (opens in new tab) and fully embodies Franklin in a sequined, gold dress and belts out a few bars of the latter's iconic hit, "Respect," for which the movie is named. The Oscar-winner performs against a black and gold backdrop, illuminated by the letters R-E-S-P-E-C-T and even just this very short clip of the performance will give you literal chills.

Watch for yourself below:

Franklin passed away in August 2018 of a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (although her cause of death was widely misreported at the time as pancreatic cancer). Later that month, Hudson was among (opens in new tab) the singers and other public figures who paid tribute to Franklin at her memorial service.

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