This second trailer for the Whitney Houston biopic, directed by Kasi Lemmons and from Sony, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” is made up almost entirely of Houston’s hit version of “I Will Always Love You.” That’s a valid choice, especially since “The Bodyguard” turns 30 on November 25.
That Kevin Costner/Whitney Houston romantic thriller earned $121 million domestically (about $282 million when adjusted for inflation) and $411 million worldwide in 1992/1993. That made it the third highest-grossing R-rated worldwide behind “Pretty Woman” ($463 million in 1990) and “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” ($519 million in 1991). So it makes sense to remind audiences of the movie for which “I Will Always Love You” was reappropriated.
It’s also a curious choice considering the movie is called “I Want To Dance With Someone,” which is arguably the polar opposite in terms of tempo and emotional impact. It would be like, offhand, setting up a Michael Jackson biopic trailer for “Ben” and then revealing the title to be “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough.”
Set to play this weekend ahead of many theatrical performances of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” this 153-second sneak peek emphasizes the scale and packed-stadium concerts, making the implicit case that at least part of the movie will resemble seeing the late Houston at a concert. That’s not unlike what worked in late 2018 for Bryan Singer’s Rami Malek-starring Freddie Mercury biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
The latter shares a scriptwriter, Anthony McCarten, with “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”. Despite the online discourse, the controversial rock and roll biopic won four Oscars and grossed $905 million worldwide, a record then and now for a straight-up, non-action drama. While the trailer doesn’t entirely shy away from the darker aspects of his real-life story (its brief look at Bobby Brown almost feels like a horror villain reveal), the marketing clearly sells empowerment, inspiration, and nostalgia.
With its opening on December 23, Sony hopes that the musically inclined biopic (“Straight Outta Compton”) or musically inclined melodrama (“A Star Is Born”) will remain a viable theatrical subgenre. The implicit (“Pitch Perfect 2”) and explicit (“The Greatest Showman”) musical was viable until COVID, even if a lot of underperforming 2021 (“In the Heights,” “West Side Story,” “Dear Evan Hanson,” “Respect,” even Disney’s “Charm”) left that in doubt heading into 2022.
No one expects earnings on par with Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” ($151 million domestically and $286 million worldwide on an $85 million budget), but “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” is expected to be an attractive offering amid a market less crowded than usual -Christmas season. It is expected to stand out both by virtue of Whitney Houston qualifying as a featured character (as Elvis, Freddy Mercury, and Lady Gaga did, relatively speaking, playing a fictionalized version of herself) and as a counterprogramming to “Avatar: The Way.” Of Water” along with “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” and “Babylon”.
Of course, for those who consider themselves Whitney Houston fans, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” will be the main event.
