The first trailer for an upcoming Aretha Franklin biopic, Respect, has just been released – you can watch below.

Jennifer Hudson stars as the Queen of Soul in the new film, due for release next January, directed by Liesl Tommy and written by Tracey Scott Wilson.

• Read more: Aretha Franklin, 1942-2018: an icon for feminism, the civil rights movement and the greatest soul singer of her generation

The official synopsis outlines how Respect follows “the rise of Aretha Franklin’s career from a child singing in her father’s church’s choir to her international stardom.”

Alongside Hudson, the film will star Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Mary J. Blige, Marc Maron, Titus Burgess and Tate Donovan.

Watch the full trailer for Respect here:

Jennifer Hudson most recently starred in Tom Hooper’s live-action remake of Cats as Grizabella – the cat tasked with singing the film’s iconic ballad ‘Memory’.

Last year also saw the release of Amazing Grace, a concert film full of resurfaced footage in which Aretha Franklin performed the title album across two nights at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, in 1972.

The footage was relegated to the archives for almost 50 years, as technical issues prevented the full film from seeing the light of day until producer Alan Elliot restored what had been shot in the early 2000s.

In a five-star review of the film, NME said: “More than a concert film, Amazing Grace is the ultimate testament to Aretha’s eternal talent.”

Respect is due for release in UK cinemas on January 22, 2021.