Source: Warner Bros. Pictures / Warner Bros. Pictures
The Color Purple has been one of the most enduring classics in the Black canon since its incarnation as the book by Alice Walker in 1982. In 1985 it was turned into a movie starring Whoopi Goldberg, Margaret Avery, Danny Glover and Oprah Winfrey. In 2005, it became a Broadway musical, and in 2015, returned to Broadway as a revival.
Now it’s been rebooted as a movie musical starring Fantasia as Celie, Colman Domingo as Mister, Halle Bailey as young Nettie, Danielle Brooks as Sofia, and Taraji P. Henson as Shug Avery. Fantasis is no stranger to the role – she played Celie in the Broadway production from 2007-2008.
The book, along with its multimedia adaptions, tells the story of Celie Harris’ painful coming of age in the South in the early 1900s under a domineering, abusive husband (Domingo) who separates her from her sister, Nettie.
Celie was played by Whoopi Goldberg in the first movie adaptation.
In the latest trailer, Fantasia is charmed by Shug Avery (Henson), the only woman who generates any love from Mister.
Shug is a charismatic woman who performs in speakeasy-style clubs of the day, which in this version of the story are extravagant productions. Her song “Push The Button” which plays in the trailer, is given new life in the reboot. Due to the magic of movies, every musical moment is shown in lavish color and with expansive choreography.
The Color Purple was directed by Blitz Bazawule, who also directed Beyonce’s Black Is King, so the richly hued visuals are no surprise. The movie’s original producers – Winfrey, Stephen Spielberg and Quincy Jones are producers this time as well.
“There’s nothing that’s been more important or vital to me culturally or artistically than The Color Purple. It is a solid base of spiritual and emotional power for me,” Winfrey, said in a featurette on the film last month. “Every woman and man who has been invisible, who has felt unseen and unvalued, this is their story.”
Watch the new trailer below:
