The trailer for Whitney Houston's final film, "Sparkle" debuted on Monday (April 02), offering a brief look at the last project made by the late singer and actress that she had hoped would help spur a career comeback. 　　Houston, who died in February of accidental drowning due to the effects of cocaine use and heart disease, appears sporadically in the trailer; in the film she plays the mother of three daughters in a successful singing group dealing with the fallout of fame and drugs. 　　"Sparkle" is a 17 million dollar remake of a 1976 film with the same name and stars former "American Idol" winner Jordin Sparks. It is due to be released in the United States on August 17. 　　It was Houston's first acting role in more than 15 years.The singer made her cinematic mark with 1992's "The Bodyguard," opposite Kevin Costner. 　　The film, which was a certified box office hit, also featured the best selling movie soundtrack of all-time. A special 20th Anniversary edition of "The Bodyguard" was recently released on Blu-ray.(John Russell/ Reuters)