The upcoming Aretha Franklin biopic Respect, starring Oscar winner and Broadway alum Jennifer Hudson, will now receive a wide release over Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend January 15, 2021, instead of its planned Christmas limited release, according to Deadline.

Under the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science's new eligibility requirements in response to the coronavirus pandemic, films with now have until February 28 to have a cinematic release to qualify for the Academy Awards, making Respect still a contender in next years Oscars.

Directed by Liesel Tommy (Eclipsed) with a script by Tracey Scott Wilson (The Good Negro), the movie co-stars Marlon Wayans, Forest Whitaker, Audra McDonald, and Mary J. Blige.

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A First Look at Respect Starring Jennifer Hudson

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