Jennifer Hudson is taking on yet another iconic role, playing the incomparable Aretha Franklin in the new teaser for the movie Respect.

It’s no secret that Jennifer Hudson is an amazing singer. While we were first introduced to her during her run on American Idol, since that time, she’s taken on several iconic roles like Effie White in Dreamgirls and more recently, she belted out one of the most recognizable show tunes out there, “Memory,” as Grizabella in the Cats movie.

But now she’s taking on an even more amazing role in her latest film, Respect. Hudson will be playing one of the giants from classic soul, Aretha Franklin.

While Franklin tragically passed due to pancreatic cancer in 2018, she was still a huge part of her biopic. She wasn’t just involved in the storytelling; she also had a big part in selecting the actress who would play her. Franklin herself gave her blessing in selecting Jennifer Hudson for the role.

Of course, if you’re unsure if Hudson was the right choice to play Franklin, take a peek at the first teaser from Respect.

Unfortunately, because this is a teaser, we don’t see any footage from the film. However, we do see Hudson dressed as the iconic singer, belting out one of her most recognizable songs (and the title of the film) “Respect.”

Not only does Jennifer Hudson manage to show us that she can nail the air of grace, confidence, sexiness, and fun that Franklin always exhibited onstage, she also assures us that she most definitely has the vocal chops to play Aretha Franklin.

Of course, this isn’t the first time Jennifer Hudson has been involved with Aretha Franklin. She wowed audiences when she sang a beautiful version of “Amazing Grace” at Franklin’s funeral back in 2018.

We can’t wait to see more from this film, but unfortunately, we’ve got a bit of a wait ahead of us. We won’t be able to see Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin until Respect officially opens in movie theaters everywhere in October of 2020.

Until then, why not revisit Franklin’s music? It’s available on Spotify and Apple Music now.