The Cast For The Upcoming Movie Musical Adaptation Of “The Color Purple” Has Been Announced

February 4, 2022 / Posted by:

Black History Month just got a little Blacker and more historical with the cast announcement for the upcoming Oprah Winfrey-produced movie musical The Color Purple which is based on the hit Broadway musical which was based on Steven Spielberg’s Quincy Jones produced-and-scored 1985 movie which was based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1982 novel. Of course, soon-to-be household name Oprah co-starred in the movie playing Sofia and now, almost 40 years later, she’s calling Danielle Brooks on the phone and yelling “Sofia, So-FEEE-AAHHHHH!! It’s your day!” Then she probably called up Fantasia, Colman Domingo, Taraji P. Henson, Halle Bailey, Corey Hawkins, and H.E.R. and was all “And YOU GET PART and YOU GET A PART and YOU GET A PART!!!” because they did, they all got parts.

The movie musical will be directed by Blitz Bazawule who directed Beyoncé’s Black is King. The producers of this movie are Oprah, Steven, Quincy, and Scott Sanders who produced the Broadway musical. According to Deadline:

Fantasia will star as Celie and Danielle Brooks will play Sofia in Warner Bros’ film adaptation of the musical The Color Purple, with both reprising their respective roles on Broadway. The news was revealed Thursday during ABC’s Soul of a Nation: Screen Queens Rising special.

Fantasia and Brooks join a cast that already includes Taraji P. Henson, H.E.R. and Halle Bailey in the film, which is being directed by Blitz Bazawule. It begins production this spring and is slated for a 2023 release.

Fantasia will be playing Celie, the role played by Whoopi Goldberg in the movie, and a role Fantasia has already played in the original Broadway production, making her the first American Idol contestant to tread the boards on the Great White Way. Here’s Fantasia finding out that she was just voted American Idol Contestant Most Likely to EGOT.

Danielle will also be reprising her role. She played Sofia in the 2015 Broadway revival for which she won a Tony. Here’s Danielle finding out that she was just voted OITNB Cast Member Most Likely Be In A Competition With Uzo Aduba For OITNB Cast Member Most Likely EGOT. Taryn Manning has been disqualified for obvious reasons.

Also joining the cast is Colman Domingo who will prepare to make us uncomfortable for being sexually attracted to mean old Mister, who was played by Danny Glover in the movie. And also joining previously announced Taraji P. Henson as Shug Avery, H.E.R. as noted woman-inquisitor Squeak, Halle Bailey as Celie’s sister Nettie and Corey Hawkins from In The Heights as noted women-identifier Harpo.

This is really some Soul Sister Full Circle Legends Only Queen shit for Oprah. When speaking to Vanity Fair about this, she said that her journey with this project started way back in 1982 when she first read Alice Walker’s book.

How do we evolve it for another generation, for another audience, for people to fall in love with these characters in the same way that I did from the very first day? [In 1982], I read a review in The New York Times about The Color Purple, got out of my bed in Baltimore, went to the bookstore, and got the book. I read the book that day, went back to the bookstore, bought every copy they had, and then went to work and gave them out to everybody I knew.

When I moved to Chicago, I would take a backpack and walk home across the bridge so I could meet people and hand out the book. So it was my original book club! I was obsessed with it.

She also said that at the time of the film’s release, she asked Steven if she could be on the poster but he said no, she wasn’t famous enough for all that.

You know, I went to Steven and said [in a tentative voice], “You know, I think I’m…I’m gonna have this talk show? And I’m gonna be famous…they say.” He says, “Your name can’t go on the poster.” Years later, I think for my 42nd birthday, Quincy had a poster made with my name on it. So I do have a poster with my name, but there’s only one.

And here’s Fantasia singing I’m Here on Broadway.

Happy first day of Black History Month! We’re not counting those first three.

Pic: Sara De Boer/startraksphoto.com, Adam Nemser/startraksphoto.com

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