Deadline reports that Sony’s Whitney Houston biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody has cast Oscar-nominated Stanley Tucci as the Grammy-winning producer Clive Davis. The upcoming feature follows the life and career of the late musical icon that was and still is Whitney Houston. Tucci will play Clive Davis, the music producer who played a crucial role in Houston’s ascent to stardom in the 1980s. Tucci co-stars with Naomi Ackie, who will play Houston in the biopic film.

Kasi Lemmons, best known for directing the extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman in Harriet will direct, and Anthony McCarten (Bohemian Rhapsody, Darkest Hour) wrote the script.

Before becoming the legendary music producer, Davis began his career as a lawyer. An uncanny knack for recognizing talent and with that ability to spot a star before they burst onto the scene led him to the incredibly brilliant Houston before anyone knew who she was, and he steered her to stardom. Davis has five Grammys to his name and was elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer in 2000. From 1967 until 1973, he was the president of Columbia Records, where he was in charge of signing artists such as Janis Joplin, Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Aerosmith (talk about a fantastic eye for finding talent).

Fans of Tucci can see him next in the upcoming drama The Kings Man with Ralph Fiennes, Daniel Brühl, and Gemma Arterton.

I Wanna Dance With Somebody will be released in theaters on December 23, 2022.