London, Oct 11 (IANS): "Ray" director Taylor Hackford has been roped in to helm soul legend Aretha Franklin's biopic.
Franklin has confirmed Helen Mirren's husband Hackford will convert her life story into a film and she wants Denzel Washington to play her father, Baptist minister and activist C. L. Franklin, in the film, reports express.co.uk.
"He (Hackford) mentioned Denzel first, and I was thinking of Billy Dee (Williams)... and I said 'Hmm...' And when I thought about Malcolm X, and what he (Washington) did with that, I said, 'Yes! He could do it. He could handle it. If he put a little more weight on and glasses, he could handle it'," she told Glamour magazine.
Franklin is still undecided about who should portray her in the film.
She is unsure about who will portray her in the film, however, she appears to favour Broadway star Audra McDonald.