Aretha Franklin: Movies & Box Office
- films
- 24
- on screen
- 1968–2023
- box office
- $142M
- average score
- 78
- Born
- March 25, 1942
- Birthplace
- Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
- Full name
- Aretha Louise Franklin
- Citizenship
- United States
- Occupations
- Singer, songwriter, pianist, civil rights activist, record producer
- Years active
- 1954-2017
- Spouses
- Ted White, Glynn Turman
- Children
- 4
The Best Aretha Franklin Movies
The films of Aretha Franklin that made the most at the worldwide box office, biggest first: The Blues Brothers (1980) leads with $115M. The full ranking adds the most awarded films and the newest releases.
Aretha Franklin's Career in Numbers
Aretha Franklin's films in numbers — as an actor, not counting appearances as themselves: when they were made, the genres Aretha Franklin works in most and the milestones along the way. The filmography runs from The Blues Brothers (1980) to Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives (2017), and the 1990s were the busiest decade.
Aretha Franklin Movies by Decade
- 1980s 1
- 1990s 2
- 2000s 2
- 2010s 2
The 1990s were Aretha Franklin's busiest decade, with 2 films.
Aretha Franklin Movies by Genre
- Documentary 2
- Biography 1
- Music 1
- Comedy 1
- Fantasy 1
- Action 1
Documentary is the genre Aretha Franklin has worked in most, with 2 films, ahead of biography (1).
Aretha Franklin Career Milestones
- First film
- The Blues Brothers 1980
- Biggest box office hit
- The Blues Brothers $115M worldwide
- Best-rated film
- Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives Movie Echo Score 64
- Newest film
- Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives 2017
Aretha Franklin Filmography: Every Movie
Every film Aretha Franklin is credited on, newest first, with the role, the box office and the Movie Echo Score. Rated films average a score of 78. Re-order the list to see the best-rated films or the biggest hits first.
Aretha Franklin Movies as an Actor
7- 2017
Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives Documentary Movie Echo Score: 64 - 2013
Muscle Shoals Biography Worldwide box office: $709K - 2004
Tom Dowd & the Language of Music Music Worldwide box office: $40.9K - 2002
It’s Black Entertainment as Mrs. Murphy (archive footage) · Documentary - 1998
Blues Brothers 2000 as Mrs. Murphy · Comedy Worldwide box office: $14.1M - 1997
The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue as Homebuilt Computer / Singer (voice) · Fantasy - 1980
The Blues Brothers as Mrs. Murphy · Action Worldwide box office: $115M
Aretha Franklin in Documentaries & Specials
17- 2023
WHAM! as Self (archive footage) · Music Movie Echo Score: 81 - 2023
They All Came Out to Montreux as Self · Documentary - 2020
Aretha Franklin, soul sister as Self (archive footage) · Music - 2019
The Apollo as Self · Documentary Movie Echo Score: 83 - 2018
Amazing Grace as Self · Documentary Worldwide box office: $7.8M Movie Echo Score: 88 - 2018
Whitney as Self · Biography Worldwide box office: $4.61M Movie Echo Score: 75 - 2017
This Is Bob Hope… as Self (archive footage) · Comedy - 2014
Led Zeppelin Played Here as Self (archive footage) · Documentary - 2010
The Greatest Ears in Town: The Arif Mardin Story as Self · Documentary - 2009
The 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concerts as Self · Documentary - 2007
Atlantic Records: The House That Ahmet Built as Self · Documentary - 2003
Britney Spears: In the Zone as Self (archive footage) · Tv movie - 2003
Sam Cooke: Legend as Self · Music - 1998
The Stories Behind the Making of ‘The Blues Brothers’ as Self · Documentary - 1990
Night of 100 Stars III as Self · Comedy - 1982
The Rodney Dangerfield Show: It’s Not Easy Bein’ Me as Self · Comedy - 1968
Aretha Franklin: The Legendary Concertgebouw Concert Amsterdam 1968 as Self · Music
Who Is Aretha Franklin?
Aretha Franklin was born in Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. in 1942. Credited on films since 1968, as an actor. The background, training and the roles that shaped the career.
Aretha Louise Franklin (1942-03-25)March 25, 1942 was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Queen of Soul", she was twice named by Rolling Stone magazine as the greatest singer of all time. Franklin began her career as a child singing gospel at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, where her father C. L. Franklin was a minister. She was signed as a recording artist for Columbia Records and after moving to Atlantic Records in 1966, she achieved commercial acclaim and success. She recorded many successful albums with Atlantic Records including 'I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967)', 'Lady Soul (1968)', and 'Young, Gifted and Black (1972)'. Franklin is one of the best-selling music artists, with more than 75 million records sold worldwide. In addition to her music career, she appeared in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. She received 18 Grammy Awards throughout her career and was also awarded the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1987, she became the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Who Aretha Franklin Makes Movies With
The actors and directors Aretha Franklin shares the most films with. John Landis comes first, with 4 films together, followed by James Brown (4).
Aretha Franklin: Questions & Answers
How many movies Aretha Franklin has made, the biggest hit, the best-rated film, the award record and more, answered from the filmography above.
How many movies has Aretha Franklin been in?
Aretha Franklin is credited on 24 films, from 1968 to 2023. The filmography on this page lists every one of them, newest first, with the role and the Movie Echo Score.
What is Aretha Franklin's highest-grossing movie?
The Blues Brothers (1980) is Aretha Franklin's biggest box office hit, with $115M worldwide, ahead of Blues Brothers 2000 (1998) ($14.1M). Across every film with box office figures, Aretha Franklin's movies have made $142M.
Aretha Franklin's biggest hits What is the best Aretha Franklin movie?
By the Movie Echo Score, which blends critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact, Aretha Franklin's best-rated film is Amazing Grace (2018) with a score of 88, followed by The Apollo (2019) (83).
Best Aretha Franklin movies, ranked What is Aretha Franklin's newest movie?
The most recent film on Aretha Franklin's filmography is WHAM! (2023), in the role of Self (archive footage).
Who does Aretha Franklin work with most often?
Aretha Franklin shares the most films with John Landis (4 films), James Brown (4 films) and Mick Jagger (4 films).
The Best Aretha Franklin Movies, Ranked
Top rated, most awarded and biggest box office hits from 24 credits.
Coming soon to your phone
The Plot Explained Movie Summary App
From blockbusters to hidden gems: plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Save your favorites and never miss a twist again.
Be the first to know when it launches. Your email stays private, always. Learn more about the app
