Disco legend Gloria Gaynor’s story is coming to the Lifetime Channel in 2025. I Will Survive The Gloria Gaynor Story is a biopic of the singer’s life from Robin Roberts’ Presents. Actress Joaquina Kalukango, who racked up a Tony and Drama Desk Award for her work on the Broadway musical Paradise Square, will portray Gaynor. Lance Gross, who is known for his role on Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, has been cast as Gaynor’s husband, Linwood Simon. Gaynor helped introduce disco music to the public with her 1975 debut album, which contained a 19-minute suite that included the singles “Honey Bee,” “Never Can Say Goodbye,” and “Reach Out, I’ll Be There.” But it was her 1978 single, “I Will Survive,” that broke through commercially and gave her a number one hit, a Grammy, her signature song, and an eternal anthem of resilience for anyone who needed it.
Gaynor will write an original song for the biopic that chronicles her entire life, which started in her native New Jersey. Viewers will get to see all the ups and downs of her career in the music industry and her escape from a marriage to a controlling husband. The movie is part of the network’s Voices of a Lifetime series.
