The Color Purple is the most highly anticipated movie adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel, featuring a talented cast and produced by Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, and Quincy Jones
Warner Bros. Discovery is allowing customers to gift tickets for the movie, following the successful box office strategy used for the film Sound of Freedom.
It is the latest adaptation of the 1982 Alice Walker novel of the same name, which went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1983.
The novel was first adapted into a 1985 film directed by Spielberg, which was a unique project for him to tackle at the time as he was predominantly known for his summer blockbusters.
It was the very first film in which Spielberg did not rely on John Williams as a composer, and the soundtrack was instead provided by Quincy Jones.
The film features a cast of talented Black actors who later went on to become famous movie stars and celebrities like Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover, and Oprah Winfrey.
The 1985 film was a huge success as it went on to earn 11 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and Best Actress and Supporting Actress for Goldberg and Winfrey.
The novel was adapted again as a Broadway musical which ran between 2005 and 2008.
Fifteen years later, a new adaptation of The Color Purple will be released in late 2023.
In November 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery announced that, on top of tickets being available online for purchase, the company will also allow potential customers to gift tickets of The Color Purple through Fandango to whomever they choose.
Interested buyers will have the option to gift either a digital or physical ticket, but regardless of which one they choose, they all cost the same at $20.
Warner Bros. Discovery is also allowing people to gift two tickets instead of one if they are near a theater that is selling The Color Purple (2023) tickets for $10 or less.
Release Date
The Color Purple will be released on December 25, 2023 and will need to compete against other Christmas Day releases such as Michael Mann’s latest film Ferrari and George Clooney’s directorial feature, The Boys in the Boat.
The Color Purple will also be up against big, highly anticipated released on December 22, notably A24’s The Iron Claw and the James Wan-directed DC superhero sequel Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
However, since The Color Purple Broadway musical made around $103 million in its first year, the team is confident that it will be a box-office success.
The Color Purple (2023) is not directed by Spielberg, whose 1985 was severely flawed.
Instead, filmmaker Blitz Bazawule, who best known for directing the low-budget thriller, The Burial of Kojo, is at the helm. However, Spielberg is still involved in as a producer.
Quincy Jones and Oprah Winfrey, who played Sofia in the 1985 film, are credited as producers, along with Scott Sanders, who was lead producer of the Broadway musical version.
The film’s score is composed by Kris Bowers, who is best known for his work on the Best Picture Oscar winner Green Book and King Richard, for which the infamous Will Smith win Best Actor Oscar.
Cast
Celie Harris-Johnson–Fantasia Barrino
Young Celie–Phylicia Pearl Mpasi
Shug Avery–Taraji P. Henson
Sofia–Danielle Brooks
Albert “Mister” Johnson–Colman Domingo
Harpo Johnson–Corey Hawkins
Squeak/Mary Agnes–H.E.R.
Nettie Harris–Ciara
Young Nettie–Halle Bailey
Mama–Aunjanue Ellis
Grady–Jon Batiste
Ol’ Mister Johnson–Louis Gossett Jr.
Rev. Samuel Avery–David Alan Grier
Alfonso–Deon Cole
First Lady–Tamela J. Mann
Henry “Buster” Broadnax–Stephen Hill
Miss Millie–Elizabeth Marvel
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Oprah Winfrey was involved in the casting, wishing to find “a cast that could live up to the musical.”
Winfrey was so satisfied with The Color Purple‘s final cast that she gave a specific reason for why she selected each major actor involved in the movie.
R&B singer Fantasia Barrino, who played Celie in the Broadway musical version of The Color Purple, was chosen because of “her rawness and vulnerability, along with her singing talent.”
Winfrey shared that Danielle Brooks, best known for her role as Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson in Orange is the New Black, was cast because Winfrey was impressed with her performance as Sofia in The Color Purple Broadway musical.
Winfrey played Sofia in Spielberg’s 1985 movie, she felt it was her duty to tell Brooks herself on Zoom that she got the part. As Winfrey stated, “It was like passing the baton to Sofia.”
While the exact story details of The Color Purple (2023) have not yet been confirmed, it is an adaptation of the successful stage musical, so it will likely follow similar storyline to both the Broadway hit and the 1982 Alice Walker novel.
The Color Purple follows a young girl named Celie Harris who, after being impregnated by her father when she was 14 years old, is forced into a marriage with a man named Albert “Mister” Johnson. Mister repeatedly beats Celie, forcing her to be his obedient housewife while forcing her to cut ties with her loved ones, including her sister Nettie with whom Celie is close.
Mister does this by forcing Celie to stop writing letters to Nettie and preventing her from accessing the mailbox.
But, after decades of living under Mister’s thumb, Celie finally is given the courage to break away from her cruel environment when she meets a group of women who encourage her to stand up for herself and create a life that she deserves. One of those women who encourages Celie is Shug Avery, Mister’s mistress and a showgirl who hopes to become a famous singer.
Trailer
The second and most recent trailer was released on the Warner Bros. Pictures YouTube channel on October 10, 2023, and has over 12 million views. Based on the content of the trailer, it appears to be a loving tribute to both The Color Purple musical and Spielberg’s 1985 film.
The trailer is filled with bright colors and song-and-dance numbers reminiscent of the musical, but it also hints at the darker story elements and themes in the original narrative.
The latest trailer emphasizes suggests that The Color Purple is a holiday season movie.
