9 Singers That Could Do Whitney Houston Justice In 'The Bodyguard' Remake

Hollywood has exhibited a near obsession with giving us reboots of classic television shows and movies from the past, most of the time without anyone ever asking for it and usually against public disapproval. Joining the ranks of remakes coming soon is Lawrence Kasdan’s timeless 1992 love story, The Bodyguard, which starred Kevin Costner and late music icon Whitney Houston in her debut acting role. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD OUR APP AND TAKE US WITH YOU ANYWHERE! Many people have already protested against the idea of it happening as expected, particularly for even posing the thought of another actress filling Houston’s shoes and maybe even attempting to cover her version of “I Will Always Love You.” Nonetheless, Tony nominee Matthew López is set to write a script for the project that’s been in development since 2011 with co-star combos ranging from Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson to Channing Tatum and Cardi B being attached over the years.

Love Praise 106.1? Get more! Join the Praise 106.1 Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Subscribe

We care about your data. See our privacy policy.

While choosing a lead male actor will be the easy part for sure, finding a talented actress with both the stage presence and singing chops to make Whitney proud from above will be the key component to making this remake a success. Although Lizzo has already put herself and Chris Evans in the running, we have a few suggestions ourselves!     The character of Rachel Marron, one of our 10 favorite fictional Black musicians by the way, is described as an Academy Award-nominated actress and music superstar that we also saw had an unmatchable sense of forward-thinking style. Although the original film was panned by critics, and Whitney’s acting received a Razzie Award nomination for Worst Actress, it still stands as the second highest-grossing film of 1992 with the best-selling soundtrack of all time. For that reason alone, the perfect person to star in the remake would have to be a triple threat in fashion, film and most importantly as a vocalist to truly be the new “Queen of The Night.”      

From music vets who actually shared the stage with Whitney, to newcomers who’ve adapted some of her spirit into their own music careers,  take a look at 9 female musicians that we feel have the total package to pull off a remake of The Bodyguard:

1. Mary J. Blige

Her acting career has been on an incline for years now, exhibiting impressive talent both on the big screen and television as well. MJB’s innate street smarts would definitely give this role some edge too.

2. Zendaya

Although she’s been clearly killing in Hollywood, a lot of people aren’t too aware that Zendaya is also a pretty good singer. A role like this would give her the opportunity to showcase both talents on a public scale simultaneously. 

3. Keke Palmer

Rarely do you see a young singer-actress that’s equally talented at both, but Keke Palmer has proven for decades now that’s she’s capable of doing it with ease and side of comedic flair. This could potentially be her breakout role for sure. 

4. Alicia Keys

Coming into the game as “the next Whitney” under Clive Davis back in 2001, Alicia has made it clear over the past 20 years that she possesses a star power that’s sure to last. Even though acting hasn’t been at the forefront of her career as of late, the possibility of returning to Hollywood could be game-changing.

5. H.E.R.

Much like Whitney when she first landed the role of Rachel Marron, H.E.R. has zero experience as an actress yet nothing but universal respect from her peers in the music industry. She’ll be making her acting debut in the 2023 film version of The Color Purple musical, but we’d love to see H.E.R. turn this into her first starring role.

6. Mariah Carey

If the directors are looking for a singer that’s as big of a diva as Whitney was during her time on Earth, it doesn’t really get much better than Mariah Carey. Besides, we think MC could definitely use a good project to truly redeem herself from Glitter.

7. Janelle Monáe

The many facets of Janelle Monáe are eclectic enough to make The Bodyguard remake a true reimagining overall. Given her proud stance in the LGBTQ community, we could even see gender roles shift around a bit with her as the star. 

8. Brandy

Based off her respect and idolization of Whitney Houston alone, it’s a given that Brandy would go above and beyond to make her personal music icon proud. Also, B-Rocka is one of the trailblazing singers that equally impressed audiences as an actress, so there’s no question as to whether or not she has the talent for a role like this.

9. Jennifer Hudson

As the go-to actress for biopics at this point, even recently turning down the idea of actually portraying Whitney Houston on film, J-Hud still could honor The Voice by stepping in to lend her powerful vocals and seasoned acting skills to give a remake of The Bodyguard a real chance at succeeding.