Due to my appreciation of Adrien Brody and Jeffrey Wright, I've really been trying to get behind the idea of Beyonce Knowles as Etta James, so that I can fully appreciate everything Cadillac Records can offer. So far, it's not happening, and with the first look at Beyonce's Etta, courtesy of Just Jared, I'm really not convinced. You can check out the full picture, plus a peek at a blue-suited Adrien Brody as Leonard Chess over at the site, and above I have given you a side-by-side comparison.

Putting a blonde wig on Beyonce doesn't make her Etta. It makes her look like she's getting ready for Halloween. They just don't look alike. They look different. They have different body types. And they certainly don't sound alike. It just looks like a caricature, which is really a shame, considering the solid cast along for the ride. And heck, as JJ pointed out, Etta doesn't think so either, although she's remaining positive: "It's a privilege and an honor to have somebody like that girl. I don't think she looks like me, but that's all right. They can fix that up."

Etta is going to work with Beyonce on both the acting and singing, so hopefully the pointers can make this all come together.

With the spring start date moving ever-closer, we're continuing to get reports of who will play all the famous, epic music legends in the upcoming film, Cadillac Records. Just last week, I told you about the wonderful additions of Adrien Brody as Leonard Chess, and Jeffrey Wright as Muddy Waters. Now it seems that we've got some estrogen to add to the mix. While talking with Cedric the Entertainer (who is also attached), BlackFilm.com found out that Beyonce has been cast as Etta James.

James had found some success with Johnny Otis and Little Richard before finding her way to Chess in 1960 -- a move that put her name on the map. After starting with blues, Chess saw a future for her in the pop world, which led her to her first pop-oriented hit, "At Last." (You know the one.. Listen to it here.) From there, she dipped into musical worlds from blues to rock. (Well, "rock" as it was years ago.) Now, she's one of the big names from her era, so the question is: Is Beyonce the right woman for the job? She's a solid singer, but from all I've heard, their voices are quite different, as are their looks. I just can't see a surprising Val Kilmer/Jim Morrison sort of morph happening -- both physically and aurally. Maybe Cedric is wrong. We'll have to wait and see, but in the meantime: What do you think?

[via Empire]