The Color Purple is a 2023 American coming-of-age musical period drama film directed by Blitz Bazawule. Marcus Gardley's screenplay is based on the stage musical of the same name, which in turn is based on the 1982 novel of the same name by Alice Walker. It is the second film adaptation of the novel, following the 1985 film directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by Spielberg and Quincy Jones. Spielberg and Jones return as producers for the 2023 film, along with the stage musical's producers Scott Sanders and Oprah Winfrey, the latter of whom also starred in the 1985 film.
The film stars Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., Halle Bailey, Louis Gossett Jr., Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, Ciara, Jon Batiste, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, and Fantasia Barrino in her film debut. Brooks and Barrino reprise their roles from the productions of the stage musical. It tells the story of Celie, an African American woman living in the American South during the early 1900s.
The Color Purple premiered in London on November 20, 2023, and was released in the United States on December 25, 2023, by Warner Bros. Pictures. It received positive reviews from critics and has grossed $58 million against a $100 million budget. The film earned several accolades, including Golden Globe Award nominations for Barrino and Brooks, and five nominations at the 29th Critics' Choice Awards, including Best Picture.
Fantasia Barrino as Celie Harris-Johnson Phylicia Pearl Mpasi as young Celie Taraji P. Henson as Shug Avery Danielle Brooks as Sofia Colman Domingo as Albert "Mister" Johnson Corey Hawkins as Harpo Johnson H.E.R.[a] as Mary "Squeak" Agnes Halle Bailey as Nettie Harris Ciara as older Nettie Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Mama Jon Batiste as Grady Louis Gossett Jr. as Ol' Mister Johnson David Alan Grier as Rev. Samuel Avery Deon Cole as Alfonso Tamela Mann as First Lady Elizabeth Marvel as Miss Millie Stephen Hill as Henry "Buster" Broadnax Additionally, Whoopi Goldberg makes a cameo appearance as a midwife who helps young Celie give birth. Goldberg previously portrayed Celie in the original film.
