Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg and Blitz Bazawule have come together to turn “The Color Purple” back into a musical movie.
Warner Bros. released the first trailer of the new adaptation after presenting footage to distributors at CinemaCon in November. The film will premiere in North America, on December 25. The film is set to open in other countries on Jan. 18, 2024.
The trailer is visually striking and takes the audience inside Celie’s mind. “American Idol”, winner Fantasia reprises her Broadway role in her first major motion picture. The trailer also provides a glimpse into the sisterhood between the women who are at the center of the story. The musical clips and the jaw-dropping performance set in Mister’s Farm are highlights of the production.
H.E.R., Colman Domingo as Mister and Danielle Brooks, who played Sofia in the Broadway revival of 2016, will also star alongside Fantasia. Halle Bailey is Young Nettie and Corey Hawkins is Harpo. Aunjanue el-taylor plays Mama.
Cast members include Tamal J. Mann, Stephen Hill, Tamali Pearl Mpasi, and Jon Batiste.
Shug Avery demonstrates how to apply lipstick in one scene. Winfrey revealed that the line was an improvised one during a virtual launch of the trailer. She explained that the line “Oh, living God” was improvised. It came out of a moment with her sister when she saw her for the first.
Winfrey also was asked why it is necessary to tell “The Color Purple’s” story nearly 40 years after the original. Winfrey is also a producer of the film along with Spielberg, Scott Sanders, and Quincy Jones. She said, “As soon as people need to discover themselves, to feel empowered, to have a sense of victory, to understand what it’s like to love and be full, and to hold on to someone else’s affection, ‘The Color Purple’ will continue to be needed.”
Winfrey, Bazawule and the film’s release on Christmas Day hope that the message of the film will bring healing. Winfrey remembered a conversation she had with Fantasia, who told her that the movie “changed her because it enabled her to forgive.” She said that people who watch this film will be healed, because she was healed.
The Color Purple is based on a novel written by Alice Walker in 1982. It tells the story of Celie, an early 20th-century Black Southern woman who was abused by both her husband and father. In 1985, three years after the publication of the book, Spielberg produced and directed a film adaptation that starred Winfrey and Danny Glover. The film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including the best picture.
In 2004, the play “The Color Purple”, written by Marsha Norman, was adapted as a Tony nominated musical with music and lyrics composed by Stephen Bray and Brenda Russell. The critically acclaimed production was nominated for 11 Tony Awards. The 2016 revival received four Tony nominations, and won two awards including best musical revival as well as best actress for Cynthia Erivo. Brooks won the award for actress in a featured part (for her performance as Sofia)
