Interview: THE COLOR PURPLE Director Blitz Bazawule Breaks Down Fantasia's 'I'm Here' & More Musical Moments From the Film

The upcoming film adaptation of The Color Purple adds song and dance into Alice Walker's classic story.

Following two successful runs on Broadway, director Blitz Bazawule has teamed up with Oprah Winfrey to bring The Color Purple musical to the big screen.

Leading up to the film's premiere on December 25, watch Bazawule discuss how he approached the musical numbers in the highly-anticipated movie.

"I watched several musicals getting ready to make this film and the best ones were the ones that had a source for their music," the former Beyoncé collaborator explains in the video. "The best power of musicals is when the music kicks in when the words are not enough."

Among the most iconic songs in the musical adaptation is "I'm Here," which Celie delivers toward the end of the show. While the song frequently receives standing ovations when performed onstage, Bazawule breaks down how he worked with Barrino on the film version of the number.

"When you cast Fantasia, who is arguably one of the greatest singers of all time, you've kind of got the cheat code. You don't have to do much except let her do her thing," he begins.

Watch Blitz Bazawule share more details on Fantasia Barrino's rendition of "I'm Here," and analyze the other musical numbers in the film here: