Is Naomi Ackie Singing in I Wanna Dance With Somebody? Here's What to Know (2024)

Naomi Ackie is taking on the role of a lifetime as she plays Whitney Houston in Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody.

From director Kasi Lemmons, the biographical musical film follows the life and career of the late Houston, who died at age 48 in February 2012 and is largely regarded as one of the greatest singers of all time.

As shown in the trailer, the film documents pivotal moments in Houston's life, including her relationship with Bobby Brown (Ashton Sanders) and signing a record deal with Clive Davis (Stanley Tucci), who also serves as one of the film's producers alongside Houston's manager and sister-in-law, Pat Houston.

The film also recreates some of Houston's most iconic musical moments, from her music videos to live performances.

As Houston was nicknamed "The Voice" during her career, Ackie certainly had big shoes to fill as she stepped into the role of the late singer. While Ackie told PEOPLE she did "a lot of rehearsal" for the big musical numbers, ultimately, most of the singing you hear in the film is Houston herself.

"My singing voice was only for moments that needed to be filled, like an emotional beat," she explained to PEOPLE. "So that's why the beginning singing in the gospel choirs was me and then you hear this change so that we know it's Whitney. Because we don't have Whitney with us, there is a kind of request from the audience to suspend their disbelief for the duration of the film."

Despite not actually singing most of the film's musical numbers, director Lemmons told PEOPLE she was blown away by Ackie's voice during her audition.

"I was compelled by the idea of doing the movie because I had known [Houston] and because of how I felt about her, but Naomi made it an easy 'Yes,' because her screen test was brilliant," she said.

"She was just so good," she continued. "She sang in the screen test and she sang the same range as Whitney, and I thought, 'Oh, this allows for some interesting film possibilities.' "

Davis echoed those same sentiments while discussing the film with USA Today. "We were very impressed that Whitney's persona was being captured," he said of Ackie's audition, adding, "the [singing] voice, of course, will be Whitney's. When it came to Whitney, we just didn't think anyone could capture her vocal genius, so it will be the Whitney voice in the film."

PEOPLE's special edition all about the life an unrivaled career of Whitney Houston is available now.