BLACK IS KING Director Blitz Bazawule to Helm THE COLOR PURPLE Movie Musical

Deadline is reporting that Blitz Bazawule, director of the Beyonce feature Black Is King on Disney+ has signed on to direct the movie musical adaptation of the The Color Purple.

According to the report, the film's A-list producers, Oprah, Steven Spielberg, Quincy Jones and Scott Sanders, were impressed with the visuals in Bazawule's film The Burial Of Kojo on Netflix.

Winfrey told Deadline, "We, were all blown away by Blitz's unique vision as a director and look forward to seeing how he brings the next evolution of this beloved story to life."

After its 2005 Broadway debut featuring a Tony-winning performance from LaChanze as Celie, The Color Purple returned to Broadway in 2015 an acclaimed production from John Doyle. The production went on to receive 2016 TONY AWARDS for Best Revival of a Musical and Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical (Cynthia Erivo). The musical also received Tony nominations for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical (Danielle Brooks), and Best Direction of a Musical (John Doyle). The Color Purple also received the 2016 Drama League Award for Outstanding Revival of a Musical.

Based on Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize winning novel and the Warner Bros. / Amblin Entertainment motion picture, The Color Purple is an unforgettable story of enduring love and triumph over adversity. With a fresh, joyous score of jazz, ragtime, gospel and blues, this stirring family chronicle follows the inspirational Celie, as she journeys from childhood through joy and despair, anguish and hope to discover the power of love and life.

Photo Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Hearst