The Color Purple musical film is a reboot of the 1985 Spielberg classic
Teaming up with legendary American filmmaker Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey has debuted The Color Purple musical film along with its all-star cast consisting of Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., Halle Bailey, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, and Fantasia Barrino.
The Color Purple musical film is a story of spirit perseverance and self-actualization through the most trying circumstances in life. It centers on the life of Celie, a Black woman who lives in the early 20th century rural south and is mistreated by her father, husband, and by the community at large.
The trailer for the film provides an emotional roller coaster accompanied by music from the Broadway revival of The Color Purple. American Idol winner Barrino makes her major motion picture debut as she plays the role of Celie.
When questioned at a live virtual event about the importance of resurrecting the classic story made popular by Spielberg’s 1985 film and seen again on Broadway in musical form in 2005 and again in 2015, Winfrey said the following:
“As long there is a need for self-discovery, self-empowerment, as long as there is a need for victory in someone’s life, as long as there is a need for people to know what it feels like to be loved up and to be made full and hold to somebody else’s love, there will be a need for The Color Purple.”
The trailer for The Color Purple musical film ends with a message from Nettie to her sister. “Dear Celie, We are more than just Kings and Queens,” says Bailey. “We are at the center of the Universe.”
Warner Bros. Pictures will premiere The Color Purple in North America on December 25, 2023, and worldwide on January 18, 2024.