“I’mma let that Queen thing go wherever I want it to,” Cynthia Erivo proclaims in the new trailer for Genius: Aretha on Tuesday (Feb. 9), in which the Oscar nominee takes on the role of Aretha Franklin.
The upcoming season of the National Geographic anthology series is an authorized look into the singer’s life and legendary career, and the two-minute trailer finds Erivo’s Franklin confidently shutting down doubts from industry professionals and loved ones to become the Queen of Soul. The clip also features inspiring moments with her preacher father Rev. C.L., played by Courtney B. Vance.
Erivo is heard singing the icon’s 1968 hit, “Chain of Fools,” throughout the trailer. “I’m writing a new song, it’s gonna hit you hard,” she says in a voiceover. “It will get under your skin, right down to the bone. It’s gonna be a whole new vibe that brings people together.”
Genius: Aretha will premiere over four consecutive nights on National Geographic Channel, beginning on Sunday, March 21 at 9 p.m. ET. The episodes will become available to stream on Hulu the next day.
Watch the trailer below.
