Warner Bros. Pictures International/Youtube
Halle Bailey as Nettie in the first trailer for the new movie The Color Purple.
CNN –
Halle Bailey and Fantasia Barrino on Monday made their official debut in the first trailer for the upcoming movie The Color Purple, a musical reimagining of the 1985 classic based on the Alice Walker novel of the same name.
“Dear Celie, we have more than just kings and queens,” says Bailey’s young Nettie in the trailer. “We are at the center of the universe.”
The film marks the big screen debut of American Idol winner Barrino. Barrino plays Celie, a character she played in the original 2007 Broadway show – the remake of which is a cinematic portrayal.
The hit song from the Broadway musical “I’m Here” plays in the background of the trailer, which features the main cast, including Bailey, Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, HER, Colman Domingo, Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, Corey Hawkins and Danielle Brooks .
Brooks reprises her Tony-nominated role of Sofia in the 2015 Broadway revival opposite Cynthia Erivo and Jennifer Hudson.
Described by Warner Bros. as a “bold reinterpretation of the beloved classic,” The Color Purple reboot follows the lives and struggles of black women living in the early 20th century South.
The 2023 film is produced by Oprah Winfrey, who starred as Sofia in the original Steven Spielberg-directed film and received an Oscar nomination for her performance. Spielberg is also on board to produce the remake, and Blitz Bazawule is directing.
In April, Winfrey appeared at CinemaCon in Las Vegas to preview the film, telling audiences that the 1985 film “was the biggest and most important thing that happened to me.” She added that it still has “great personal meaning.”
The Color Purple is expected in theaters on Christmas Day. The film is produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, which, like CNN, is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.