As the calendar rolls into the festive season of 2023, movie enthusiasts and fans of the original book anticipate the arrival of a cinematic gem – the new movie adaptation of the beloved musical The Color Purple.
The highly anticipated release promises to captivate audiences with its powerful storytelling, exceptional cast, and a vibrant celebration of the human spirit.
The Color Purple started as an incredibly important book, and back in the ’80s, it was turned into an equally-as-meaningful movie. Years later, it found its way to Broadway as a musical (winning a Tony during its revival). Now, the musical version of the story is a movie once again.
Some will be unhappy to see that a large portion of the lesbian love story — which made this tale of particular interest to the LGBTQ community — has been removed from this version, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth seeing. For more of that, check out the other version of The Color Purple.
Before you head to theaters to see the film, let’s delve into everything you need to know.
What Is The Color Purple About?
The Color Purple is a poignant and emotionally charged tale that focuses on the life of Celie, an African American woman in the early twentieth century who has to endure incredible suffering, but who also finds love and happiness in unexpected places and ways.
Adapted from Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, the story unfolds against a backdrop of racial and gender inequality, chronicling Celie’s journey from oppression to empowerment. With themes of sisterhood, love, and the enduring strength of the human spirit, The Color Purple is a timeless narrative that continues to resonate with audiences worldwide — and even find new people to reach as it continues to be adapted in new ways.
Leading the ensemble is the incomparable Fantasia Barrino, one of the former winners of American Idol. The Grammy-winning singer takes on the main role of Celie, and she does so beautifully. Alongside Barrino, the film also stars Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., and even the Little Mermaid herself, Halle Bailey.
When Is The Color Purple’s Release Date?
The musical film The Color Purple will officially be released to theaters nationwide on Christmas Day — December 25, 2023.
Where Is The Color Purple Streaming?
Since The Color Purple hasn’t even been released to theaters just yet, it doesn’t have a home on any streaming platform. Warner Bros. is the distributor, so chances are good it will land on HBO and Max.
Steven Spielberg’s 1985 movie is currently streaming on Max, and is available for purchase or rental through Vudu, iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon.
Who Worked On The Color Purple?
The Color Purple was directed by the brilliant Blitz Bazawule, a Ghanaian talent who is very much on the rise in Hollywood. He is perhaps best known for directing Beyoncé’s Black Is King, for which he earned a Grammy nomination.
The movie was produced by some of the top heavyweights in the entertainment industry, including Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Scott Sanders, and Quincy Jones — many of whom were involved in the original film as well. The movie’s screenplay was penned by Marcus Gardley.
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They're hoping to keep the box office humming with Oscar bets and big stars: Tom Hanks re-teaming with Gump guide Robert Zemeckis for Here, Denzel Washington brushing off his period English in Ridley Scott's Gladiator II, Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga terrorizing Gotham in Joker: Folie à Deux.
The year is 1977. Francis Ford Coppola is in the Philippines jungle, besieged by reports of ballooning budgets, on-set chaos, and unwieldy ambition as he toils to make his long-gestating passion project, Apocalypse Now.
The year is 1981. Coppola is shooting on the soundstages of Zoetrope Studios, besieged by reports of ballooning budgets, on-set chaos, and unwieldy ambition as he toils to make his long-gestating passion project, One from the Heart.
The year is 2023. Coppola is at a production studio in Georgia, besieged by reports of ballooning budgets, on-set chaos, and unwieldy ambition as he toils to make his long-gestating passion project, Megalopolis.
Broadway has never had a shortage of leading ladies, but the fall season offers a surplus of divas who will no doubt be leaving indelible impressions long after the curtain falls.
Other recognizable A-listers from stage and screen will grace New York's Broadway and Off-Broadway houses as well in shows ranging from sturdy American classics to contemporary subjects of Artificial Intelligence.
Whether you're a local, a frequent visitor, or a tourist, these upcoming productions promise to be worth your time, money, and in some cases, all the gay gasps you can muster. Will they make good on such claims? Metro Weekly will be on the aisle to offer adulation, admonishment, or a combination of both.
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