The Color Purple Footage Reaction: The Musical Adaptation Heads To The Big Screen [CinemaCon 2023]

Alice Walker's 1982 epistolary novel "The Color Purple" has been adapted for other mediums a few times, with Steven Spielberg's moving 1985 film rendition emerging as a popular example. While Spielberg's adaptation is not perfect, it brims with a lot of heart, especially in the portrayal of the central character Celie, played by Whoopi Goldberg. Being a powerful, resonant story about a Black teenager who resists the injustices that define her experience, "The Color Purple" is being re-imagined as a cinematic coming-of-age musical drama from director Blitz Bazawule.

Fantasia Barrino-Taylor, who was involved in the original Broadway stage musical production of "The Color Purple," will be assuming the role of Celie, while the role of Sofia will be played by Danielle Brooks (who played the same role in the Broadway version). Other members of the cast for the upcoming musical film drama include Taraji P. Henson, Colman Domingo, Halle Bailey, and Corey Hawkins, among others. This new adaptation will be taking a slightly different approach than Spielberg's version by incorporating magic realism to heighten Celie's central experience, as she embarks on a challenging, empowering journey through the course of the movie. Warner Bros. Pictures and Amblin Entertainment are the major studios backing the film, with Spielberg also back as a producer alongside Oprah Winfrey, who played Sofia in Spielberg's 1985 movie. Moreover, Quincy Jones, who created the score for Spielberg's film, is also acting as a producer.

The first trailer for "The Color Purple" debuted at CinemaCon, which /Film's Ben Pearson is currently attending, granting us access to the event's exclusive trailers and previews. Here's what we saw in the released trailer for the upcoming film, which allows us a glimpse into the life of Celie Harris.

The first footage from director Blitz Bazawule's take on "The Color Purple" looks a lot different than the 1985 Spielberg adaptation of Walker's book, and it knows it: after setting the scene with images of a foggy bayou, vibrant costumes, and a fire burning in the distance, text appears on screen that says: "Not Your Mama's Color Purple." We can also hear a woman's voice saying, "I was married to a man I didn't know." The rest of the footage introduces audiences to Celie (Fantasia, reprising her Broadway role), Mister (Colman Domingo), and Sofia (Danielle Brooks, also reprising her role here in what looks to be a standout performance).

While much of the footage shown takes place in an outdoor plantation setting, one clip shows a lushly designed interior set that Pearson says calls to mind the production design of Baz Luhrmann's "The Great Gatsby." In the scene, women sit at a table opposite Mister, and declare that "Celie is coming with us." Mister, a deeply abusive character in Walker's novel, snaps back, "I would die before I let that happen." Celie has her own excellent comeback: "Good, that's the going away present I've been waiting for."

CinemaCon audiences also got a sneak peek at some of the singing and dancing that'll be featured in the musical, and overall, it looks like a stylized, energetic take on a classic story about the bond between women. Bazawule took to the stage along with the cast and producer — and star of the '80s novel adaptation — Oprah Winfrey. While Bazawule spoke about telling the story in "a joyful way" and Fantasia was open about how heavy the role of Celie is to take on, Winfrey got the last word. "It's not your mama's color purple, but your mama's gonna really like it," she promised.

"The Color Purple" opens in theaters on December 25, 2023.