Essence of singer who’s still superstar

WHITNEY Houston was just 48 when she died in 2012 in an accidental drug-fuelled drowning in a Beverly Hills hotel bathroom.

Her legacy as a global superstar lives on, however, and a new biopic arrives at the Henley Regal Picturehouse on Boxing Day with a screenplay from the writer of the recent Bohemian Rhapsody, which celebrated the story of Freddie Mercury and Queen.

Taking its title from one of her best-known songs, Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody stars 30-year-old British actress Naomi Ackie in the role of the troubled singer.

The singing is all from Houston’s original recordings and Ackie, best known from her role as Jannah in 2019’s Star Wars:The Rise of Skywalker, says her job was to capture the singer’s essence rather than imitate her.

Stanley Tucci plays Clive Davis, the man who signed Houston to his record label when she was a teenager and worked with her for the rest of her career.

Davis is also one of the film’s co-producers.

Actor Ashton Sanders appears as Bobby Brown, Houston’s husband for 15 years, and Nafessa Williams takes the role of Robyn Crawford, whose 20-year love affair with the singer began when they were in their teens but was largely kept under wraps.

The film has a running time of two hours and 26 minutes.

Also opening on Boxing Day is Corsage, an historical drama about The Hapsburg Empress Elisabeth of Austria and a co-production between Austria, Germany, Luxembourg and France.

It presents a fictionalised account of a year in the life of Elisabeth as she celebrates her 40th birthday in 1877, revered by her subjects but lonely and patronised at home.

With some stunning sets and scenery, Corsage has a running time of one hour and 53 minutes.

Still showing are Avatar: The Way of Water (2D) (12A), Avatar: The Way of Water (3D) (12A) and Matilda the Musical (PG).