Teyana Taylor is “nervous” about her upcoming Dionne Warwick biopic as she reveals she has been given “a lot of creative control.” The project represents one of the most anticipated musical biopics of the decade, with early industry buzz already generating awards speculation.
Warwick, 85, personally chose the lookalike actress to portray her in the upcoming flick, and in an update on the progress of the production, the 34-year-old Coming 2 America star confessed it’s a “big job” and they are taking their time so it’s “perfect.” The casting decision has been widely praised by industry insiders and fans alike.
She told PEOPLE: “We have everything kind of set in stone and everything together. It was a little slowdown, of course, with the unfortunate things that have taken place. But everything is so up and running.” The production team has assembled some of Hollywood’s top talent behind the scenes.
“It’s still going and Ms. Dionne has so much career. So even trying to consolidate … I just want it to be perfect.” Warwick’s extensive catalog includes records that have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide.
Aiming for perfection
She added: “I want this to be perfect and I want to sell her story and I just want everything to be perfect. But I’m in such a great space with it. We’re in a great space. We spend a lot of time together. So it’s just like, I’m super excited. It’s a big job. It’s a big job.” The pair have developed a close mentorship relationship throughout pre-production.
Taylor didn’t want to proceed unless Dionne felt “safe” emotionally. This attention to the legend’s well-being has set new standards for biographical productions.
She explained: “She feels so safe and that has been the most important thing for me. Her safety, mentally, emotionally, everything.” The production has implemented special protocols to ensure Warwick’s comfort throughout filming.
Noting that she has a far bigger role than just playing the music legend, she continued: “So I think that’s another reason why I took a little while because I needed to make sure it was in the right hands. She’s given me a lot of control, like a lot of creative control, so I’m taking on even a bigger job than just portraying her.” The project marks Taylor’s most significant creative endeavor to date.
“I have a lot of production work, directing work to do, a lot of different things like that so I’m just really making sure everything is perfect.” Industry veterans have praised Taylor’s comprehensive approach to the project.
‘Triple threat’ Teyana
Warwick previously said there is no one else that could portray her other than “triple threat” Teyana. Speaking to The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column last year, Warwick gushed: “She is a triple threat, she sings, she dances and she is an actress. I have seen her films, I got to know her and as I got to know her I found that she was doing all of the research that she could find on me.” Their collaboration has become one of Hollywood’s most talked-about partnerships.
“She knows more about me than I know about myself.” The film will cover six decades of Warwick’s groundbreaking career in the music industry.
She added: “I personally chose her – based on a couple of photographs I found. One of her and one of me. We had them interposed together and I can’t think of anybody else who would ever do it.” The physical resemblance between the two artists has garnered significant media attention.
Warwick had teased the project back in 2021 although she had suggested that it was going to be a television series. The transition to feature film format has allowed for a more cinematic approach to storytelling.
The music legend told Entertainment Weekly: “(Teyana) is certainly a talented young lady with whom I’ve had the pleasure of interfacing. She’s very excited about the prospect of being involved, and she’s also going to be very, very much involved in directing it and putting together parts and parcel of how we see this going.” The production is expected to feature never-before-seen footage from Warwick’s personal archives.
