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In 1976, when Whitney Houston was a teenager in New Jersey, she saw a film called "Sparkle." She was so taken by its message, she used to say, that every Saturday for four straight months she'd go to the movie theater to catch the matinee.

The movie told the story of an obedient, churchgoing teen in 1950s Harlem who overcomes obstacles to achieve her a dream of becoming a famous singer. Made for just $1.6 million, it barely broke even at the box office. Ms. Houston, of course, would grow up to become one of the top-selling recording artists of all time.

Later, she would become executive producer of a "Sparkle" remake. "I just never ever let go of it," Ms. Houston said at a news conference late last year on the set in Detroit. She also appears in the new version--due in theaters Sept. 17--as Emma, the strict mother of the title character (played by "American Idol" winner Jordin Sparks) and her two rebellious sisters.

Filming wrapped last fall. Then, the night before the Grammy Awards ceremony in February, Ms. Houston drowned in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, just days after recording "Celebrate," the song that runs over the film's closing credits. The public grieving was enormous, made even more so by her self-destructive trajectory. Although her death was ruled accidental, drugs were found on the scene and the autopsy found evidence of the ravages of cocaine.

The new "Sparkle" had a modest $14 million budget and no one expected a blackbuster. But it could do brisk box office business as fans of Ms. Houston turn out to see their beloved icon give her final performance.

"It's a heavy responsibility," says DeVon Franklin, senior vice president of production at Sony.

The studio didn't want to alienate fans by seeming to exploit her death, especially a death that created a tabloid frenzy.

Instead of attempting to capitalize on the moment by rushing the film into theaters, executives decided to stick with the film's originally scheduled August release date. The film wasn't ready, and they wanted more time to finalize its marketing campaign. Only one scene, in which Ms. Houston's character's daughters slip a sedative into her tea so they can sneak out, was excised from the film.

"We thought that was a little too much," says producer Debra Martin Chase, referring to Ms. Houston's long battle with drugs. Although the first ads largely focused on Ms. Sparks and her two sisters, the campaign has gradually introduced Ms. Houston, inviting fans to "celebrate the legend."

Care was taken not to overemphasize Ms. Houston to the exclusion of others. While early posters featured Ms. Sparks singing in a slinky red dress, a newly released ad shows Ms. Houston with her arm wrapped around her co-star.

"We would have been remiss if we said, 'Here's Whitney Houston's last film' rather than saying, 'Here's a story about three girls'" to familiarize the audience with the film, said Mr. Franklin.