Latest in Genius: Aretha

As a Tony, Emmy and Grammy winner and Oscar nominee who just recorded her first solo album of original music, Cynthia Erivo is well-acquainted with artistic challenges. But the prospect of portraying Aretha Franklin in National Geographic’s third season of its Genius anthology series was unlike anything she had…

The first series in the franchise to have an African-American and a woman as its marquee player, NatGeo's Genius: Aretha is, like the title of its opening episode and the Queen of Soul herself, all about "Respect." Penned by Pulitzer Prize winner Suzan-Lori Parks, the pandemic-delayed premiere picks up with the Cynthia…

On Genius: Aretha, cinematographer Kevin McKnight was challenged to develop a visual approach to a story spanning 50 years, helping viewers to tap into the emotional experience of one of the greatest performers of all time. The third season of Nat Geo's anthology series follows Aretha Franklin's (Cynthia Erivo)…

Emmy, Tony and Grammy winner Cynthia Erivo steps into the shoes of the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin in the Nat Geo anthology series Genius: Aretha. “It was an honor and I had this overwhelming sense of responsibility to try and tell the story through her as truthfully as I possibly could with this much grace as I…

Spring is almost officially here with heroes, icons and mysteries both fictional and real booming on the small screen this weekend. Of course, only one of them will be the show you have to watch this week – as you can discover in the video review above. Chronologically, there's The Falcon and The Winter Soldier first…

The spark for Genius: Aretha was a result of a confluence of events, according to Brian Grazer, who serves as executive producer on the Nat Geo series. During the SXSW panel for Genius: Aretha, Grazer said that they had a long list people for the next installment of the series that spotlighted cultural icons like…

EXCLUSIVE: The Nat Geo network is pulling out all the stops for a March 11 world premiere of Genius: Aretha, the latest installment of its anthology series. The event will be marked by a pre-show of performances, multi-city drive-in screenings, and a finale of Cynthia Erivo performing Aretha Franklin songs taped at…

Genius: Aretha, the third installment in National Geographic's anthology series, will air all eight episodes across one week. The Disney-owned cable network will launch the drama series, which stars Cynthia Erivo as music icon Aretha Franklin, with two episodes on Sunday, March 21 at 9 pm before double-stacking the…

Actress Cynthia Erivo dropped new key art on her Instagram page today for the upcoming season of National Geographic’s Genius: Aretha. Erivo, who stars in the eight-part limited series as the Queen of Soul, released the poster on her birthday to commemorate the life of the legendary singer. “Today is my birthday and I…

Another series whose production was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic has successfully finished its season. Genius: Aretha, the third installment in National Geographic’s anthology series, wrapped production today in Atlanta. The show commemorated the occasion with photos on Instagram featuring star Cynthia Erivo…

EXCLUSIVE: Three weeks after resuming production, filming on National Geographic’s Genius: Aretha came to a halt today after a background actor tested positive for COVID-19, sources said. I hear production was suspended for the day. It is unclear at the moment how long the shutdown will last; such decisions are often…

After a months-long coronavirus-related delay, National Geographic’s Genius: Aretha resumed production today in Atlanta as planned, and cast and crew were greeted with a welcome back letter from executive producer/showrunner Suzan-Lori Parks. Genius: Aretha, starring Cynthia Erivo as the legendary singer Aretha…