Warner Bros. Pictures has released the first trailer for their new “The Color Purple” film, Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg have reunited to revive into a movie musical, directed by Blitz Bazawule.
The project is based on the Tony-winning stage musical based on Alice Walker’s 1982 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “The Color Purple” centers on Celie, a Black Southern woman in the early 20th century who is abused by her father and husband.
Three years after the book’s publication, in 1985, Spielberg directed and produced a movie adaptation starring Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover and Laurence Fishburne. The film received 11 Academy Award nominations, including best picture.
In 2004, “The Color Purple” was adapted into a Tony-nominated musical written by playwright Marsha Norman with music and lyrics by Stephen Bray, Brenda Russell and Alee Willis.
The critically acclaimed production received 11 Tony nominations.
Nettie (Halle Bailey) and Celie (Phylicia Mpasi) are two young sisters who find themselves constantly dreaming about having a new life, one outside the daily discrimination and injustice they face, which allows them to go after what they want and feel like they belong.
Besides Bailey, the film also cast Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks, Ciara, Taraji P. Henson, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, H.
E.R., Louis Gossett Jr., and David Alan Grier in the film.
Blitz Bazawule (“Beyonce: Black is King”) directs the project, which also has Danish cinematographer Dan Laustsen (“John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum”) serving as director of photography. Marcus Gardley penned the script for the film that aims to be an awards season contender.
“The Color Purple” opens on December 20th.