The man who is credited with bringing Whitney Houston into the limelight has said all questions surrounding the late superstar will be answered in the upcoming biopic.
Clive Davis signed Houston to Arista Records after seeing her perform in a New York City nightclub.
Together, Houston and Davis worked on some of her biggest songs and were friends outside work.
On December 26, Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody, will hit Australian cinemas and Davis promises people will be getting more than just a movie.
Speaking to PEOPLE, Davis said he knew fans had a lot of questions about Houston.
“I decided it’s only right to do a film and answer all the questions, whether it’s about her sexuality, her marriage, her dependence on drugs at a certain part of her career, how she and I worked together,” he said.
“Then — big time — the music. How do you celebrate the music? All those great copyrights. We clearly decided it would have to be Whitney’s voice.”
Davis produced the film, in which he is portrayed by Stanley Tucci, while Naomi Ackie takes the role of Houston.
Davis praised Ackie’s performance as Houston, saying her audition tape was “spectacular”.
“It was all the research she had put into it … Within a few minutes you do feel she’s Whitney. She delivers in that manner in the film,” he told PEOPLE.
New biopic ‘deals with every issue’
Houston died in 2012, aged 48. Several documentaries and films have since been released about her.
Anthony McCarten, the film’s writer, told The Guardian the other portrayals of Houston’s life were “sensationalist” and said people were more obsessed with her mistakes.
Davis told Variety the goal of Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody was to accurately tell her story, something he does not think has been done.
“Our job was not to run from or run to. Our goal was to capture Whitney, the person, the singer. To make an honest film that deals with every issue,” he said.
“An honest, accurate picture of who she was. And certainly to capture the incredible music that compelled her to be the greatest of contemporary stars during her lifetime.
“As for all-time, Whitney is up there at the top with Aretha Franklin and Barbra Streisand.”
