She’s paying homage to the pioneer!

Lizzo — the chart-topping, genre-defying, multi-hyphenate powerhouse — is stepping into one of the most transformative roles of her career as she prepares to portray the legendary Sister Rosetta Tharpe in an upcoming Amazon MGM Studios biopic, Variety reports (Variety).

Titled “Rosetta,” the film will chronicle the extraordinary journey of the woman widely known as the Godmother of Rock & Roll. Long before the world celebrated icons like Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Johnny Cash, it was Sister Rosetta Tharpe who electrified audiences with her thunderous guitar riffs, gospel-rooted vocals, and fearless approach to performance. As Rolling Stone notes, Tharpe was one of the first true guitar superstars in American music, a revolutionary artist who blurred the lines between sacred and secular music and changed the sound of the 20th century (Rolling Stone).

The biopic will focus on a pivotal era of Tharpe’s life, exploring her bold musical innovation, her defiant pursuit of artistic freedom, and her deeply personal relationships — including a secret love story that shaped her emotional world.

Lizzo, a four-time Grammy winner and cultural icon known for her vocal range, flute solos, dynamic stage presence, and messages of empowerment, will not only star as Tharpe but also serve as a producer on the film. She revealed on social media that this project has been years in the making and is deeply personal to her.

“Let me be very clear: there were no auditions for Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Because this is a film I’ve been producing for years, fighting for her story to get told…I’ve been honoring her in my music videos & performances…pitching her movie to people who’ve never heard of her…studying her life and reading every book that exists about her. This is my baby, my passion – because Rosetta deserves. The Godmother of Rock n Roll is in good hands y’all. Stay tuned,” Lizzo wrote.

For Rosetta, Lizzo is joined by an all-star creative team: writers Natalie Chaidez (The Flight Attendant) and Kwynn Perry (Tigerbelles), along with producers Kevin Beisler, Nina Yang Bongiovi, and Forest Whitaker of Significant Productions. According to early descriptions provided by Amazon MGM Studios (The Hollywood Reporter), the film will highlight how Tharpe shattered musical boundaries and cultural expectations — all leading to a climactic moment in which she transforms a wedding into one of the most legendary concerts in music history: the world’s first-known stadium show.

Although Sister Rosetta Tharpe passed away in 1973, her influence continues to surge through modern pop culture. Her music and legacy have been referenced in recent films and series such as Atlanta, A League of Their Own, Elvis & Nixon, and Death on the Nile. She was portrayed by British artist Yola in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, a performance praised for reintroducing Tharpe to mainstream audiences (BBC). Still, despite these acknowledgments, historians and music critics have long argued that Tharpe’s contributions deserve far more recognition than she has received.

This makes Lizzo’s involvement especially fitting. A performer who blends vulnerability with virtuosity, and confidence with emotional depth, Lizzo has long credited Sister Rosetta Tharpe as a foundational influence on her musicianship and performance style. This biopic represents the culmination of years of her championing Tharpe’s cultural legacy.

Meanwhile, Lizzo continues expanding her own creative universe. She recently released two new singles — “Still Bad” and “Love in Real Life,” the latter serving as the title track from her forthcoming fifth studio album. Her body of work stretches across music, television, and film, including her Emmy-winning reality competition series Watch Out For The Big Grrrls, which solidified her as one of the most impactful entertainers of this generation.

There’s no official release date yet for Rosetta, but anticipation continues to build. If the passion Lizzo has poured into this project is any indication, Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s long-overdue moment in the spotlight is finally on its way — and it’s bound to be unforgettable.