The film, directed by Salim Akil, is inspired by the doo-wop girl group The Supremes. Sparks, who also appeared on Broadway in In the Heights, will take on the titular role, with Houston as her gospel-singing mother.
R&B artist R. Kelly penned original songs for the 2012 remake, which is choreographed by Fatima Robinson ("Dreamgirls") and features a screenplay by Mara Brock Akil.
The cast also includes Cee-Lo Green, Tika Sumpter, Mike Epps, Carmen Ejogo, Omari Hardwick and Derek Luke.
The original 1976 "Sparkle" centered on three singing teenage sisters from Harlem who form their group in the late 1950s. The remake takes place in Detroit, MI, in the 1960s during the Motown era. As previously reported, executive producer Howard Rosenman, who also produced the original "Sparkle," plans to adapt the 2012 film into a Broadway musical.
Read more about Jordin Sparks' theatrical history at the Playbill Vault. Watch the recently released trailer:
