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THE COLOR PURPLE to be adapted into a film, release date set for 2023

Warner Bros. have announced that December 20, 2023 is the expected release date for their film adaptation of The Color Purple.

Blitz Bazawule, who co-directed Beyoncé’s Black Is King, will lead the project. Oprah Winfrey, Scott Sanders, Steven Spielberg and Quincy Jones are all attached as producers.

Based on the 1982 epistolary novel of the same name, The Color Purple follows young Celie, an African American woman living in Southern America during the turn of the 20th century. The show premiered on Broadway in 2005, and starred LaChanze as Celie. The 2015 Broadway revival was met with critical acclaim, including taking home the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical, and starred Cynthia Erivo, Danielle Brooks, and Jennifer Hudson.

No casting details have been announced.

Gabi Bergman

Gabi Bergman (she/her) is a Melbourne-based performer and educator, and the current Deputy Editor-in-Chief of AussieTheatre.com. She holds a double degree in Theatre Studies and Film/Screen Studies, along with a Master of Teaching (Secondary Education). A passionate advocate for inclusion and diversity in the arts, Gabi brings her deep love of storytelling to the stage, the page, and the classroom. A lifelong lover of theatre, she spends more on tickets than she’d like to admit. Her most prized possession is her ever-growing collection of theatre programs.

View Comments

  • Dear Gabi,

    I noticed that your title eludes to the Color Purple being adapted into a film. If I am not mistaken its first release was a film in the early/mid 80's, which starred Oprah Winfrey, Whoopie Goldberg, Danny Glover, and a host of other amazing actors. Also, Celie did not live in South America. However, she did live in the American South. It's great to hear that they will remake this masterpiece. I look forward to it's release.

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