Watch Naomi Ackie as Whitney Houston in 1st official trailer for 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody' biopic
The first trailer for the long-awaited Whitney Houston biopic, "I Wanna Dance with Somebody," is finally here.
The trailer arrived Thursday and shows British actress Naomi Ackie channeling the late powerhouse singer. The trailer begins with how Whitney got her start, when Arista Records' Clive Davis discovered her singing at a nightclub at the tender age of 19.
"My dream? Sing what I wanna sing. Be how I wanna be," Ackie narrates as scenes of Whitney's rising star status flash across the screen.
The trailer includes one of the most defining moments of Whitney's career -- the 1991 Super Bowl where the Grammy winner belted out "The Star-Spangled Banner."
The sneak peek also shows the dark undercurrents Whitney faced throughout her career, such as facing criticism that her music wasn't "Black enough."
"Look, I don't know how to sing Black and I don't know how to sing white, either," Ackie's voice continues to narrate as the camera pans to a sold-out stadium of fans excited to see Whitney perform. "I know how to sing."
"I Wanna Dance with Somebody" is directed by Kasi Lemmons and written by Anthony McCarten. The film arrives in theaters on Dec. 21.
"The greatest voice of our time has an even greater story," the movie's official synopsis reads. "Discover the Whitney Houston you never knew."
Whitney died in 2012 of an accidental drug overdose. She was 48.
