The Color Purple (2023)

Fantasia leads as Celie in film adaptation of Broadway play based on beloved Alice Walker novel

The Color Purple is a musical coming-of-age period drama directed by Blitz Bazawule for Warner Bros. Pictures. It is an adaptation of the popular Broadway stage play of the same name which was based on the 1982 novel by Alice Walker. Steven Spielberg famously directed the first adaptation of the novel in 1985 to massive acclaim. He serves as a producer on 2023’s The Color Purple along with three other names who are intimately involved with the IP – Quincy Jones, who also produced the 1985 film with Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, who starred in the original film and was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar, and Scott Sanders, Lead Producer of the Broadway stage play alongside Winfrey and Jones. Winfrey initially took notice of director Bazawule following his 2018 drama The Burial of Kojo which ultimately led to him directing The Color Purple.

This adaptation boasts an impressive lineup of both musicians and actors. The main character Celie Harris is played by Fantasia Barrino, who is an R&B singer, actress, and winner of American Idol. H.E.R., a Grammy and Academy Award-winning singer-songwriter, portrays Squeak while Nettie is played by Ciara Harris, a renowned singer, songwriter, and dancer. Halle Bailey, another singer-songwriter and actress, known for her role in The Little Mermaid remake, portrays a young Nettie. Colman Domingo, a well-known stage and screen actor, plays the character Mister. The cast also includes Taraji P. Henson as Shug Avery, and Corey Hawkins as Harpo. The impressive lineup also features Louis Gossett Jr., David Alan Grier, Aunjanue Ellis, Tamela J. Mann and Deon Cole.