National Geographic, with Imagine Television Studios and Fox 21 Television Studios, announced that Emmy- and Tony Award-winning actor Courtney B. Vance (“The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story”) will star opposite previously announced Cynthia Erivo (“Harriet,” Broadway’s “The Color Purple”) as Aretha Franklin in the next installment of the Emmy-winning global anthology series GENIUS: ARETHA.
Additionally, Suzan-Lori Parks (“Topdog/Underdog”) will serve as showrunner and executive producer and Anthony Hemingway (“Power,” “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story”) will executive produce and serve as the producing director for the upcoming season. Filming will start this December for a spring 2020 premiere on National Geographic channels in 172 countries and in 43 languages.
Vance joins as Aretha’s father, C.L. Franklin, an influential reverend and civil rights activist known as the “Million Dollar Voice.” A star in his own right, C.L.’s legendary sermons were published and sold in record stores and broadcast on a weekly radio show, and he booked national ministry tours and public appearances. C.L. had a close but fraught relationship with his daughter and supported her throughout her career, most notably when he encouraged her transition from singing gospel to more popular genres.
The role marks a return to a Fox 21 Television Studios production for Vance, who starred as Johnnie Cochran in the critically acclaimed series “The People V. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story”, for which he won the Emmy for Lead Actor in a Limited Series and Critics’ Choice Award for Best Actor in a Movie/Miniseries, and was nominated for a Golden Globe and a SAG Award.
The previously announced ensemble cast will include Malcolm Barrett (“Timeless,” “Preacher”), Patrice Covington (Broadway’s “The Color Purple”), Kimberly Hébert Gregory (“Vice Principals”), Rebecca Naomi Jones (“The Big Sick”) and Sanai Victoria (“Black-ish”) in the eight-episode global limited series.