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The Color Purple 2023

Movie · 141 min · English · November 20, 2023

Directed by Blitz the AmbassadorWritten by Marcus Gardley

Starring Fantasia, Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo

The Color Purple is a 2023 American musical period drama film directed by Blitz Bazawule, with a screenplay written by Marcus Gardley. The movie adapts the stage musical of the same name, which in turn is based on the 1982 novel by Alice Walker. This marks the second cinematic version of the story, after the 1985 film directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by Spielberg and Quincy Jones. For the 2023 release, Spielberg and Jones serve as producers once again, joined by Broadway producers Scott Sanders and Oprah Winfrey, with the latter also appearing in the 1985 film.

The cast includes Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., Halle Bailey, Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, and Fantasia Barrino, who makes her film debut. Brooks and Barrino return to their stage roles. The narrative follows Celie, an African American woman navigating the challenges of a harsh marriage and life in the American South during the early 1900s.

The film had its London premiere on November 20, 2023 and was released in the United States on December 25, 2023 by Warner Bros. Pictures. Critics responded positively, though it earned $68.9million at the box office against a production budget of $90–100 million. Danielle Brooks received widespread acclaim for her role, earning nominations for the Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actress. At the 55th NAACP Image Awards, the film achieved a record eleven wins from sixteen nominations, including Outstanding Motion Picture and acting honors for Barrino, Henson, Domingo, and the ensemble cast.