Taglines: Celebrate the legend.
A talented young woman is torn between her dreams and her family in this musical. Sparkle (Jordin Sparks) has been blessed with a beautiful voice and a gift for songwriting, but she’s afraid to perform her songs in public, in part because her mother Emma (Whitney Houston), a former entertainer whose career brought her nothing but heartache, refuses to allow her daughters to sing outside of church. But Sparkle persuades her older sibling Sister (Carmen Ejogo) to sing one of her tunes at a talent show, and the reaction proves that Sister has star quality and Sparkle can write potential hits.
An ambitious would-be manager, Stix (Derek Luke), persuades Sparkle and Sister to form a singing group with their sibling Dolores (Tika Sumpter), but while the act clicks wit audiences, the sisters have to contend with their angry mother, Sister gets caught up in a destructive relationship with a short-tempered comedian (Mike Epps), and Sparkle finds herself falling in love with Stix.
Sparkle is a 2012 American musical film directed by Salim Akil and produced by Stage 6 Films, It was released on August 17, 2012, by TriStar Pictures. Inspired by The Supremes, Sparkle is a remake of the 1976 film of the same name, which centered on three singing teenage sisters from Harlem who form a girl group in the late 1950s. The remake takes place in Detroit, Michigan in 1968 during the Motown era.
The film stars Jordin Sparks, Derek Luke, Whitney Houston, Mike Epps, Cee Lo Green, Carmen Ejogo, Tika Sumpter, Tamela Mann and Omari Hardwick. Sparkle features songs from the original film written by soul musician Curtis Mayfield as well as new compositions by R&B artist R. Kelly. This film is the debut of R&B/pop singer and American Idol winner Jordin Sparks as an actress. Sparkle also marks Whitney Houston’s fifth and final feature film role before her death on February 11, 2012, three months after filming ended. The film is dedicated to her memory.
Sparkle (2012)
Directed by: Salim Akil
Starring: Jordin Sparks, Whitney Houston, Derek Luke, Mike Epps, Carmen Ejogo, Tamela Mann, Tika Sumpter, Omari Hardwick, Cee Lo Green, Brely Evans, Linda Boston, Michael Beach
Screenplay by: Mara Brock Akil
Production Design by: Gary Frutkoff
Cinematography by: Anastas N. Michos
Film Editing by: Terilyn A. Shropshire
Costume Design by: Ruth E. Carter
Set Decoration by: Tina Tottis
Art Direction by: Gary Myers
Music by: Salaam Remi
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for mature thematic content involving domestic abuse and drug material, and for some violence, language and smoking.
Distributed by: Columbia Pictures
Release Date: August 17, 2012
Hits: 120