Jennifer Hudson Is WINNIE

Jennifer Hudson will star in WINNIE The Pooh… ehm… sorry, that’s not it, let me try again, according to Variety, Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls) will star in the biopic WINNIE about the former wife of the great Nelson Mandela. This could be another Oscar shot for the actress/singer who got her statuette doing her first movie ever. Man, I bet every actor in Hollywood who’s been waiting tables, struggling to catch a big break was jealous of her that day when her name was mentioned at the Kodak Theater. Mandela himself will be played in a separate separate story INVICTUS, by Morgan Freeman (check out the trailer)…

Mandela’s wife, Winnie Mandela, fought against civil rights with her activist husband, she even went to jail for that same reason. But she is more of a complex character whose reputation got tarnished association with a bodyguard who murdered a 14-year old alleged informer, and Winnie was later convicted of fraud.
The film is based on the biography WINNIE MANDELA: A LIFE by author Anne Marie du Preez Bezdrob. The script was written by Andre Pieterse, Roodt and Paul L. Johnson
To be directed by Darrell J. Roodt (Yesterday), production will begin May 30th, 2010 in the South African locations of Johannesburg, Capt Town, and the Transkei and Robben Island where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison.

Ya know, after Dreamgirls I honestly thought there’s now way Hudson would be able to top that, I mean there are actors out there who won Oscar once and just couldn’t get nominated again no matter how many project they’ve done because it’s as though the characters they play from that day on somehow could never equalize the character that got them to that one glorious once in a lifetime moment.
I think Hudson’s singing ability helped her winning chances with Dreamgirls, let’s see if she can carry Winnie Mandela‘s character complete with the accent and charisma without having to sing a single note and still manage to earn herself some Oscar buzz.

Here’s the official synopsis of the book WINNIE MANDELA: A LIFE..
“Everyone has an opinion about Winnie Mandela, and usually a strong one. She has been adored, feared and hated more than any other woman in South African history. But few people know much about the life behind the headlines, myths and sound-bites. This biography is an in-depth and intimate look at Winnie Mandela’s personal and political life, and takes the reader on a remarkable journey of understanding. The book traces her development from talented and privileged child to dedicated social worker, caring wife and mother, and fiery political activist. It examines her vigorous campaign to keep the name of her jailed husband alive, and explores her own harassment, imprisonment and isolation at the hands of the security police. Finally, the book investigates the events that have made Winnie Mandela such a controversial figure: the allegations of kidnapping and murder, her divorce from Mandela, and the current fraud charges. Winnie Mandela’s journey to this point is traced with understanding and honesty, in this fascinating and balanced biography of a most enigmatic woman.”