“Genius: Aretha” will begin production next month for a spring 2020 premiere on National Geographic. Diana Son also joins as executive producer, while Imagine’s Anna Culp serves as producer alongside Peter Afterman. This third season, Imagine is partnering with Warner Music Group, so Clive Davis and Atlantic Records chairman and CEO Craig Kallman have also joined as executive producers. “Genius: Aretha” will be showrun by Suzan-Lori Parks, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of “Topdog/Underdog.” It is executive produced by Imagine’s Grazer, Ron Howard and Francie Calfo, as well as returning executive producers from previous installments Ken Biller, MWM Studios Gigi Pritzker and Rachel Shane, and EUE/Sokolow’s Sam Sokolow. Franklin was a gospel prodigy and outspoken civil rights champion and is widely considered to be the greatest singer of the past 50 years, receiving countless honors throughout her career.
#Genius aretha cast series
“Genius: Aretha” is the first foray for the series into a legendary woman. The premiere installment centered on Albert Einstein, while the second followed Pablo Picasso. The “Genius” anthology series dramatizes stories of brilliant innovators, exploring their achievements, as well as their passionate and complex personal relationships. NatGeo on Thursday announced that Tony-, Emmy- and Grammy Award winner Cynthia Erivo has been cast as Aretha Franklin in the next installment of its Genius bioseries. Previously, she appeared on the West End and Broadway stages in “The Color Purple.”Įrivo is repped by United Talent Agency, ID, Authentic Talent & Literary Management and Pekioff Mahan. musical take on “Rip Van Winkle,” which she is also executive producing. Other upcoming projects include HBO’s “The Outsider,” based on the Stephen King novel of the same name Doug Liman’s “Chaos Walking” John Ridley’s “Needle in a Timestack” and Warner Bros. Cynthia is the perfect person to portray the profoundly human story behind the genius that is Aretha.Ī Tony, Emmy and Grammy Award-winning actress, Erivo will be seen on the big screen in “Harriet” next month. Not only is she an incredible and bona fide star, but she is soulful and has tremendous depth as a musical artist, said executive producer Brian Grazer. Erivo will be performing many of these songs.Ĭynthia Erivo blew me away.
Additionally, the series will feature Franklins performances of I Knew You Were Waiting for Me, Freeway of Love and Sisters Are Doin It for Themselves. The series will include many of Franklin’s biggest recordings from the comprehensive Warner Music catalogue, including I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You), Chain of Fools, Dont Play That Song, Since Youve Been Gone and Baby I Love You. The upcoming season, entitled “ Genius: Aretha,” will be the first-ever, definitive and only authorized scripted limited series centered on the life of titular Grammy Award winner and musical icon. 'Amazing Grace' Set to Anchor Fall Voter Drive, Get Expanded Spring Reissue (EXCLUSIVE) Why Kasi Lemmons Decided to Direct the First Biopic About Harriet Tubman