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Halle Bailey and Fantasia Barrino made their official debut on Monday in the first trailer for the upcoming “The Color Purple” movie, a musical reboot of the 1985 classic, based on the novel of the same name by Alice Walker.
The movie marks “American Idol” winner Barrino’s major motion picture debut. Barrino stars as Celie, a character she played in the original Broadway show in 2007 – which the reboot is a cinematic rendering of.
The Color Purple has a new cast and “a bold new take”
The Broadway musical’s hit song “I’m Here” plays in the background of the trailer, which showcases the main cast, including Bailey, Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, H.E.R, Colman Domingo, Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, Corey Hawkins and Danielle Brooks.
Brooks is reprising her Tony-nominated role as Sofia, whom she portrayed in the 2015 Broadway revival alongside Cynthia Erivo and Jennifer Hudson.
Described as a “bold new take on the beloved classic” by Warner Bros., “The Color Purple” reboot follows the lives and struggles of Black women living in the South in the early 1900s.
The 2023 movie is produced by Oprah Winfrey – who starred in the original Steven Spielberg-directed film as Sofia and earned an Oscar nod for her performance. Spielberg is also tapped as a producer on the remake, and Blitz Bazawule directs.
In April, Winfrey appeared at CinemaCon in Las Vegas to debut a sneak peek of the film, telling the audience the 1985 film “was the biggest and most important thing that happened to me.”
“The Color Purple” is anticipated to hit theaters on Christmas Day.