‘The Color Purple’ Musical : Fantasia Barrino Stars in Emotional First Glimpse of New Movie,The Color Purple is in theaters Dec. 25

The Color Purple movie musical is almost here.

I saw the original movie in theaters as young man in my 20s and I saw the stage musical as an older man in my 50s and I can say Alice Walker’s book had wings and the actors that played in her movie were great. I remember Spike Lee being mad that Stephen Spielberg was the director. But the movie came out to be a classic. I can’t wait for this gift.

On Monday, Warner Bros. Pictures debuted the first trailer for the new adaptation of the Alice Walker novel and the Broadway musical it inspired, which was previously released as a non-musical film in 1985 directed by Steven Spielberg.

In this version, directed by Blitz Bazawule, Fantasia Barrino plays Celie in her feature film debut, while Danielle Brooks plays Sofia among a star-studded cast that also includes Taraji P. Henson, Halle Bailey, Louis Gossett Jr., Corey Hawkins, David Alan Grier, Colman Domingo, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, H.E.R., Ciara, Jon Batiste and Deon Cole.

A press release for the trailer calls the film a “bold new take on the beloved classic” about “the extraordinary sisterhood of three women who share one unbreakable bond.”

Oprah Winfrey, who starred as Sofia in the 1985 movie opposite Whoopi Goldberg as Celie, is a producer behind the project. At CinemaCon 2023 in April, Winfrey, 69, called overseeing the new production a “full-circle moment” that “holds great personal meaning” to her.

“The Color Purple in 1985 was the biggest and most important thing that ever happened to me and continues to be,” she said onstage, adding, “Now we’re doing a brand-new version that could only come because of the most perfect director,” in 41-year-old Bazawule, who made his directorial debut with 2018’s The Burial of Kojo.

Back in May 2022, Winfrey recounted that she got emotional visiting the Georgia set of the new film with friend Gayle King.

She recapped her set visit for OprahDaily.com, explaining that the team is “bringing a reimagined, evolved version of the Broadway show to a new generation of audiences. If you liked the original, I guarantee you’re going to be rejoicing when you see this version.”

“I unexpectedly burst into happy tears at the very first sight of the gifted Danielle Brooks, who played Sofia on Broadway and now in this reincarnation. It felt like the baton was truly being passed on in one of the most special moments in my life. We both hugged and ugly cried together,” wrote Winfrey.

“When Gayle and I saw the cast perform the finale, we couldn’t help but give a standing ovation,” she added. “We nearly ruined the scene with our clapping and screaming, but they were so incredible, it felt like we were at a concert.”

 Taraji P. Henson Calls Filming The Color Purple Movie Musical ‘Empowering’

Winfrey said after the cast and crew filmed the last scene scheduled for that day “everybody broke out into dancing the electric slide and singing.” She continued, “Every person I spoke to, from the camera crew to the hair-and-makeup team, was delighted to be there. It was a joyful set, and it was only the beginning of a three-month shoot.”

Marcus Gardley wrote The Color Purple‘s script based on the book of the same name and the musical by Marsha Norman. Spielberg, 76, serves as a producer on the new movie musical, along with Scott Sanders and Quincy Jones

The Color Purple is in theaters Dec. 25.