Theater News

The Color Purple Musical Will Be Adapted for the Big Screen

Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Quincy Jones, and Scott Sanders all join the film’s producing team.

Cynthia Erivo and the 2015 Broadway cast of The Color Purple.
Cynthia Erivo and the 2015 Broadway cast of The Color Purple.
(© Matthew Murphy)

It has been confirmed that Warner Bros. is developing a new film adaptation of the stage musical The Color Purple, produced by its Broadway backers Oprah Winfrey, Quincy Jones, and Scott Sanders.

The property began as a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker and was first adapted for the screen in 1985 with direction by Steven Spielberg, who also joins the upcoming project as a producer.

The musical, which debuted on Broadway in 2005, features a book by Marsha Norman; and music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray. Director John Doyle revived the musical in 2015 with a production that earned the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical and brought about the Broadway debut of breakout star Cynthia Erivo, who earned the Tony for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as Celie.

The film is in early stages of development, and casting is yet to be announced.