Everything You Need to Know About THE COLOR PURPLE Movie
BroadwayWorld has updated all the information we could about the upcoming film!
By: Michael Major May. 07, 2022
The acclaimed Broadway musical adaption of The Color Purple is officially getting the movie musical treatment! BroadwayWorld collected all the information we could about the upcoming film - including who's starring, what roles haven't yet been cast, and what will change from stage to screen.
The story depicts the lives of African American families and relationships in early twentieth-century Georgia. The musical, featuring jazz, ragtime, gospel, blues and African rhythms, has a book by Marsha Norman with music by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray. It first premiered on Broadway in 2005; a 2016 revival garnered Tony wins for leading actress Cynthia Erivo and for Best Revival of a Musical.
The Color Purple is based on the 1982 novel of the same name by Alice Walker. It was originally adapted into a non-musical film in 1985, starring Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Danny Glover, and more.
Find out what we know about the upcoming The Color Purple movie musical below!
Who's in the cast of The Color Purple movie musical?
Fantasia Barrino will lead the cast of the film as Celie. Danielle Brooks will reprise her Tony-nominated performance as Sofia, which we played in the musical's 2016 revival. Taraji P. Henson is slated to play Shug Avery.
The star-studded film also includes Corey Hawkins as Harpo, H.E.R. as Squeak, Colman Domingo as Mister. Singers Halle Bailey and Ciara will share the role of Celie's beloved sister, Nettie, with Bailey playing the younger version of the character and Ciara playing the older version.
Oscar-nominee Aunjanue Ellis will play Celie and Nettie's mother, a new role for the film that was not included in the musical.
Elizabeth Marvel plays Miss Millie, another new role for the film, the unpleasant wife of the town's mayor who hires Sofia to be her maid.
GRAMMY-winner Jon Batiste will make his feature film acting debut in the film as Grady, a piano man and the husband of Shug Avery (Henson).
In an interview, Barrino revealed that Whoopi Goldberg, who played Celie in the original film, will be seen in the upcoming musical remake.
The cast is rounded out by Louis Gossett, Jr. will play the role of Ol' Mister, David Alan Grier is Reverend Avery, Tamela J. Mann will play First Lady, Phylicia Pearl Mpasi is Young Celie, Deon Cole is Alfonso, and Stephen Hill will play the role of Buster.
Most recently, Terrence J. Smith and Tiffany Elle Burgess were added to the cast to play Adam and Olivia, respectively. Aba Arthur has also joined the cast in an unspecified role.
What roles haven't yet been cast in The Color Purple movie?
It seems that all of the major roles in the The Color Purple movie have been cast, but new characters - including the ones played by Aunjanue Ellis, Elizabeth Marvel, David Alan Grier, Tamela J. Mann, and Deon Cole - have been added to the roster.
Who's directing The Color Purple movie?
Blitz Bazawule is directing the new film. Bazawule is most known for directing the Beyonce feature Black Is KING on Disney+.
Producer Oprah Winfrey revealed to Deadline that she had been "blown away by Blitz's unique vision as a director" and looks forward to seeing how he brings the next evolution of the story to life.
Who wrote The Color Purple movie?
The musical, featuring jazz, ragtime, gospel, blues and African rhythms, has a book by Marsha Norman with music by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray. The film features songs including "I'm Here," "What About Love?," and "Too Beautiful For Words."
The Color Purple is based on the 1982 novel of the same name by Alice Walker. It was originally adapted into a non-musical film in 1985, starring Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Danny Glover, and more.
What's different about the movie?
The film features several new characters not present in the musical, including Reverand Avery, First Lady, Alfonso, Miss Millie, and Celie's mother.
Additionally, the role of Nettie will be played by two actors in the film, which differs from the musical version. The new film will feature Halle Bailey as a young Nettie and Ciara as an older version of the character.
Additionally, H.E.R. is potentially collaborating with the writers of the film to work on a new song for her character, Squeak.
When does filming start?
The Color Purple musical movie wrapped filming in Georgia earlier in 2023.
"It's been hard on set, it's been funny on set, it's been emotional on set, it's been cold, it's been hot," Fantasia Barrino recently said to Entertainment Tonight. "Some of the places that we are filming has been heavy, because literally we have slave homes that have been there for years behind us. We can feel our ancestors. So it's heavy."
When can I see The Color Purple movie musical?
The Color Purple film is set to be released in theaters on December 25, 2023.
BroadwayWorld will be sure to fill you in on additional changes and updates as we hear about them!
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