News February 04, 2022
Fantasia, Halle Bailey & More Cast in New 'The Color Purple'!
The upcoming adaptation of “The Color Purple” already has a stacked cast!
On Thursday night, Oprah Winfrey — who made her film debut as Sofia in the 1985 Steven Spielberg-directed movie adaptation of Alice Walker’s 1982 novel and will serve as a producer for the new project — announced on “Soul of a Nation” that Fantasia Barrino will play the lead in the Warner Bros. film.
Additionally, Danielle Brooks — best known for her role on “Orange Is the New Black” — has been cast as the character of Sofia.
Both Fantasia and Danielle played their respective parts in previous stage productions. While Fantasia portrayed Celie during the 2007 Broadway run, Danielle starred in the 2015 Broadway revival — and received a Tony Award nomination.
After this announcement went viral, Fantasia posted an emotional video where it appears she received a phone call about the good news!
“I got the part! I got the part!” the “American Idol” alum exclaimed.
In her caption, Fantasia reflected on portraying Celie onstage, an experience that caused her “pain” but was “an introduction to a greater purpose of meaning and assignment.”
“As I sit tonight and reflect on the journey my life has taken, I believe I now understand what Redemption truly feels like. The last time I stepped into this character, the similarities between what I portrayed on stage and what I experienced in my own reality were too close for comfort,” she wrote.
“I’ve learned since then that my pain was only an introduction to a greater purpose of meaning and assignment. I hope that every little Black girl who is fighting to be heard and recognized also promises to never give up in spite of the costs. Now everyone who has been wondering why I’ve been missing and so quiet can see that I’ve been dedicating all of my time to All Things Purple!”
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On Friday, it was revealed that Halle Bailey — who will star in Disney’s live-action adaptation of “The Little Mermaid” — has been tapped to portray Nettie.
Speaking with Vanity Fair, Oprah said about Halle’s casting, “She’s somebody whose presence you can feel in her absence.”
“The memory of her, the feeling of her, the strength of her comes through, even when you’re only hearing her voice from her letters,” she added.
In response to the news, Halle wrote on IG, “feeling oh so grateful to be a part of this historic film as nettie. thank you God.”
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The film — directed by Blitz Bazawule from a screenplay written by Marcus Gardley — will also star singer H.E.R. playing Squeak, Corey Hawkins portraying Harpo, and Taraji P. Henson playing Shug Avery.
“The Color Purple” follows the lives of several Black women in the 1930s American South and centers on the character of Celie, who struggles to find her identity after suffering from abuse.
