Film News

Release Date Set for Upcoming Color Purple Musical Film

Marcus Gardley will pen the screenplay and Blitz Bazawule will direct.

Jennifer Hudson in The Color Purple on Broadway
Jennifer Hudson in The Color Purple on Broadway
(© Matthew Murphy)

A release date has been set for the long-awaited movie-musical adaptation of The Color Purple. Penned by Marcus Gardley and directed by Blitz Bazawule, the film will hit theaters on December 20, 2023, presented by Warner Bros.

Based on Alice Walker's novel, 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. It was revived on Broadway in 2015 earning 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 property was first adapted for the screen in 1985 with direction by Steven Spielberg. He produces the remake, alongside Oprah Winfrey, Scott Sanders, and Quincy Jones. The original Broadway production starred LaChanze, in a Tony-winning turn, as Celie.