The musical adaptation of the hit Broadway show and acclaimed novel arrives Christmas Day.
A fresh spin on “The Color Purple” is almost here. The beloved Alice Walker novel has a new adaptation coming to theaters this month, complete with a star-studded cast and exciting direction from Blitz Bazawule. We got a chance to catch the film, and got you covered with five things you should expect from the “bold new take” on Celie’s tale.
A Broadway score
While trailers for the new film have teased powerhouse performances from the cast, what may surprise many is the musical aspect to this new iteration of Walker’s story. That’s right: “The Color Purple” is a musical film, specifically an adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical of the same name.
Bringing hit songs like “I’m Here,” “Hell No!” and “Shug Avery” to the big screen, this stylish film comes to life with thrilling musical numbers that are sure to bring you to your feet.
An epic cast
What helps most when making a musical adaptation? Casting Broadway veterans, of course. Fantasia Barrino stars as Celie in the film, reprising the lead role she took on in the Broadway show’s original run back in 2007. Danielle Brooks also returns as Sofia, a role that earned her a Tony nomination in the 2016 revival of the show starring Cynthia Erivo.
Two-time Tony Award nominee and Brooks’ Juilliard classmate Corey Hawkins joins the film as Harpo, while Tony Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Colman Domingo takes on the classic role of Mister. Taraji P. Henson, who showed off her singing chops in “Annie Live” just a few years ago, joins as Shug Avery.
With Halle Bailey and Ciara making the role of Nettie their own, H.E.R. diving into the character of Squeak and even Jon Batiste appearing in a supporting role in the film, the entire project is then rounded out with musical marvels.
Stunning visuals
The new film comes from filmmaker Blitz Bazawule, infusing this classic tale with larger-than-life visuals that transport you into Celie’s imagination. Viewers may be familiar with the Ghanaian filmmaker’s work, as he directed Beyoncé’s award-winning film, “Black is King” as well as his debut, 2018’s “The Burial of Kojo.”
Bazawule brings his larger-than-life sensibility to “The Color Purple,” due to the musical aspect of the adaptation. The sequences, choreography, and cinematography invite viewers into a more fantastical experience than the grounded and familiar Spielberg version.
“Celie had a real imagination, and perhaps that’s how she was able to deal with all the hurt she was going through,” Bazawule told the LA Times earlier this year. “I felt that if I could really lean into that — and be proximate to her joy, her pain, her isolation — it would be a strong and worthwhile contribution to not only the canon of ‘The Color Purple’ but also the medium of musicals.”
A star is born
While the cast is filled with industry veterans and heavy-hitters, there is one actress who makes her debut with a stellar performance: Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, who plays young Celie. While she is no stranger to the industry, Mpasi’s background is in theater and TV writing, having worked on shows like “Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies.” Speaking to theGrio’s Cortney Wills, she said, “I’ve been at this for a while. You know, I went to school to study theater, and when it felt like that wasn’t going to work out, then I moved to writing so I could tell my own stories. And, you know, the whole thing of, like, cast myself in something … and the irony is, the show I was working on, I didn’t get cast in that show. I was trying to write myself a part and they didn’t pick me!”
“This feels so right,” she added. “I auditioned for this back in 2015 for the musical, and, you know, now I’m here in the film and it’s so cool to have all of my talents really come together …it just unlocked this beautiful gift for me.”
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Surprises galore
While the film maintains the familiar story we all know and love, be on the lookout for plenty of surprises, including familiar faces and new scenes for fans of “The Color Purple” to sink their teeth into. The movie even features new songs in addition to the Broadway score, including “She Be Mine,” which, per Playbill, was cut from the original Broadway score when it was workshopped in 2004 and “Keep It Movin’,” which was written by Bailey herself alongside Denisia Andrews, Brittany Coney, and Morten Ristorp.
“The Color Purple” hits theaters Christmas Day.
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