Whitney Houston Documentary Releases Official Trailer, Touts ‘Intimate, Unflinching Portrait’ Of The Singer
The upcoming Whitney Houston documentary, Whitney, now has a trailer. Fans can pore over the clip for the first hints of what to expect.
No Holds Barred
The flick, directed by Kevin Macdonald, looks to provide an intimate portrait of the iconic singer's life, which was kept tightly private for most of her years.
The first footage was released on Wednesday, May 16, as part of the 2018 Cannes Film Festival in France.
Most notably, the movie is officially sanctioned by the late singer's estate. As a result, it promises to give fans a never-before-seen glimpse at her family and love lives, as well as dealing with her struggles with fame and drug addiction.
The documentary will feature her difficult relationship with former husband, Bobby Brown, as well as insights from her mother, Cissy Houston; longtime friend and rumored lover, Robyn Crawford; her costar in The Bodyguard Kevin Costner; Paula Abdul; and Clive Davis.
"[Whitney is an] intimate, unflinching portrait of Houston and her family that probes beyond familiar tabloid headlines and sheds new light on the spellbinding trajectory of Houston's life. Using never-before-seen archival footage, exclusive demo recordings, rare performances, audio archives and original interviews with the people who knew her best, Oscar-winning filmmaker Kevin Macdonald unravels the mystery behind 'The Voice,' who thrilled millions even as she struggled to make peace with her own troubled past," reads the official synopsis.
The flick had its midnight premiere at Cannes. It reportedly includes archival footage of the singer as well as exclusive demo recordings, rare performances, audio archives, and original interviews with friends and family close to the late singer.
An Important Project
The trailer showcases a number of familiar tabloid headlines while flashes of Houston's life play.
"There were times when I looked up to God and I'd go, 'Why is this happening to me?' People think it's so easy and it's not," the singer herself admits in one moment.
There's also footage of her criticizing Abdul for supposedly singing off-key. As for the "I Will Always Love You" singer's iconic voice, the teaser promises plenty of it will be included, specifically her legendary 1991 performance of the national anthem at the Super Bowl.
Macdonald told THR that it was Houston's rendition of the song that initially encouraged him to take on the project.
"I met Nicole David, her longtime agent, who was incredibly close to her. And she said to me, 'I just don't understand what happened, she was the most lovely girl,' ... Nicole sent me this article about Whitney's rendition of 'The Star-Spangled Banner' and how that changed how the song has been understood and sung ever since. So I think it was the combination of thinking there's this really interesting personal mystery, but also how this woman was a musical genius," he explained.
Whitney drops in theaters on July 6. Watch the trailer below!
