A biopic spotlighting legendary jazz vocalist Dinah Washington is in the works

Winsome Pinnock and Danny Glover are reportedly teaming up for a large-scale biopic about jazz and blues singer Dinah Washington.

Hollywood is reportedly cooking up a large-scale biopic about legendary jazz and blues singer Dinah Washington. 

“Our grandmother’s singing went beyond the lyrics. It was a connection with her audience rooted in shared emotion, struggle, and truth,” Washington’s grandchildren said in a statement supporting the project, per Deadline. “Preserving her legacy is incredibly important to us, and we cannot wait to share her story with audiences around the world.”

According to the outlet, British playwright Winsome Pinnock is slated to write the script, and Danny Glover has signed on as an executive producer. 

“Dinah was a superlative musician who harnessed the power of music to disrupt, resist, and heal,” Pinnock said in a statement, per the outlet. “ While her rebelliousness came at a cost, it allowed her to transcend the expectations placed on Black women and blaze a trail for every artist who came after her.”

The film will reportedly follow the “What A Difference A Day Makes” singer during a “pivotal” two-week period in London. Chronicling Washington’s life at the height of her career, the film is said to follow her life after the global success of the 1959 Grammy-winning song. 

Before she was a world-renowned singer, Washington was born Ruth Lee Jones in Alabama and raised in Chicago. Like many singers, Washington grew up in the church, leading its choir and playing the piano. It was not until she was 15 and won an amateur contest at Regal Theater that Washington landed her first professional gig and began recording music. Despite creating chart-topping hits in the 1950s and 60s, Washington’s music was widely overlooked until the 1980s. 

Now, tracks like “Nobody Knows the Way I Feel This Morning”, and “Mad About the Boy” are seen as classics that have been covered by the likes of Ledisi, Amy Winehouse, and more. 

“Dinah’s voice was a force of nature. It could break your heart and lift your spirit in the same breath,” Glover said of the songstress. “As someone who has spent decades honoring the legacy of jazz and blues, I see this film as essential. I was honored and excited to become involved in this project.”

The forthcoming biopic marks the first time a film has been produced in honor of the late vocalist. In 2021, Mary J. Blige made an appearance as Washington in the Aretha Franklin biopic “Respect,” starring Jennifer Hudson.

“It’s taken 23 years to bring her story to this point,” said producer Angie Lee Cobbs, who is shepherding the project at Rolling Fork Productions after securing the life rights from the Washington estate. “Winsome brings the perfect combination of artistic brilliance and a deep understanding of what it means to be a groundbreaking woman of color in the arts. Her voice will be essential in honoring Dinah’s legacy.”

As of now, there are no details about when the film will be released.