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Chappell Roan, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are slated to be honored at the Songwriters of North America’s upcoming Warrior Awards in October, Sona announced this week, alongside entertainment lawyer Dina Lapolt, Primary Wave CEO Larry Mestel and nonprofit organization Girls Make Beats.

Hit songwriters Bonnie McKee and Shane Stevens are co-hosting the awards, which will also feature performances from songwriting legend Desmond Child and Morgan Wade. The Warrior Awards will be held at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles on October 12, and pre-sale tickets for the event will go on sale for Sona members on August 8.

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Sona established the Warrior Awards back in 2021 as a vehicle to recognize those in the industry who use their platforms to advocate for the songwriter and composer class. Previous recipients have included Justin Tranter, Allee Willis and Raye,...

Vinegar Syndrome has announced 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray releases of Mac and Me, The Rage: Carrie 2, The Card Player, and Yongary, Monster from the Deep.

Exclusive slipcover editions will ship later this month, while standard retail versions are due out on August 26.

Mac and Me has been newly restored in 4K from the 35mm original camera negative with Dolby Vision Hdr.

The 1988 E.T. knock-off is directed by Stewart Raffill (The Philadelphia Experiment), who co-wrote the script with Steve Feke (When a Stranger Calls). Jade Calegory, Christine Ebersole, Jonathan Ward, and Katrina Caspary star.

Special features:

4K Uhd presented in Dolby Vision High-Dynamic-Range Newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative Brand new commentary track with co-writer/director Stewart Raffill & Jim Branscome of Cinematic Void Brand new commentary track with film historians Wayne Byrne and Paul Farren “Strange Adventure” (12 min) – a brand new interview with co-writer...

Alert Paul Rudd because 1988 gem/E.T. ripoff/McDonald’s spokes-movie Mac and Me is coming to 4K! This summer, Vinegar Syndrome will release Mac and Me in glorious HD courtesy of a newly scanned and restored version via the movie’s original 35 mm negative that will make you want to drive your wheelchair right off a cliff.

Here is Vinegar Syndrome’s official write-up of Mac and Me: “When a family of telekinetic extraterrestrials dying on a parched planet are vacuumed into a NASA rover and transplanted to Earth, they inadvertently become literal illegal aliens, on the run from the United States government! As his sister, mother, and father escape into the strangely familiar world of the surrounding desert, the youngest of the group becomes lost, eventually sneaking into the home of a wheelchair-bound middle schooler named Eric. At first unsure of what to make of the pint-sized space creature,...

Actors Steven Weber, Lori Petty, Cynda Williams and Mitchell Anderson have joined the lineup of Pride Live! Hollywood, which continues through June 29 at venues across Hollywood.

The inaugural pop culture festival will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the LGBT comedy Jeffrey with star Weber, who will be reunited with his Wings and Dracula: Dead and Loving It co-star Amy Yasbeck.

Meanwhile, Petty, Williams and Anderson have joined Relax … It’s Just Sex co-stars Billy Wirth, Tim Perez, Chris Cleveland and Eddie Garcia in a tribute to pioneering producer Steven J. Wolfe and his groundbreaking film.

Elsewhere, festival partner Amoeba Music will sponsor a free Pride Live! Hollywood concert performance by Durand Jones & The Indications, followed by a signing of their latest album, Flowers.

Also added to the schedule is a screening of disco movie Can’t Stop the Music with screenwriter Bruce Vilanch and cast member Leigh Taylor-Young.

As previously announced,...

GLAAD – the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization – and eBay today announced a star-studded auction in honor of Pride Month supported by artists including Doechii, Shakira, Margaret Cho, Orville Peck, Sandra Bernhard, Andy Cohen, Kesha, and more.

100% of the proceeds will benefit GLAAD in support of their mission to accelerate acceptance for the LGBTQ community.

Launching globally June 16th at 3pmET/12pmPT and running through June 26th at www.eBay.com/glaad, eBay for Charity shoppers will have the opportunity to bid on one-of-a-kind items and experiences from celebrity GLAAD supporters.

Auction items include:

Aly & Aj: Celebrate 20 years of Aly & Aj’s iconic debut album with this once-in-a-lifetime ‘Into The Rush’ VIP Experience for you and a guest on their upcoming Silver Deliverer Tour! Andy Cohen: Win 2 coveted seats to a live taping of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen for you and a guest.

A new Pride festival celebrating LGBTQ representation in entertainment is coming to Los Angeles, just in time for the 25th anniversary of Queer as Folk.

Cast members of the Showtime series will reunite for the first ever Pride Live! Hollywood, running June 11-29, also featuring a Golden Girls 40th birthday and a tribute to the late Norman Lear, among other events at venues around Hollywood.

“It’s more important than ever that we celebrate the fabulous light of programs like Queer as Folk, not to mention Pride Live! Hollywood’s other offerings,” said Scott Lowell, who played Ted Schmidt in the 2000-’05 series. “Especially during Pride Month in LA at a festival that not only acknowledges the past but shows us the path forward.”

Lowell will reunite with co-stars Hal Sparks, Robert Gant, Michelle Clunie, Thea Gill, Peter Paige and Sharon Gless, as well as creators Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman for the festival.

The past 15 years or so have been dominated by legacy sequels, movies that bring back beloved franchises with stories that land somewhere between a reboot, a sequel, and a remake. Out of the bunch, "Cobra Kai" is one of the best ones. From the moment the first season premiered on the defunct YouTube Red platform, "Cobra Kai" has managed to excel at being not only a continuation of Johnny Lawrence's (William Zabka) story on top of a reboot following a new generation of kids but also a rather good pseudo-remake of the original "Karate Kid" movies.

After all, the story of Miguel Diaz (Xolo Maridueña) heavily echoed that of Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio) in the first film, but with a twist. Like Daniel, Miguel is a new kid in town who learns karate to defend himself from bullies and gain self-confidence, enters a tournament, and uses a crane kick to...

BFI Flare: London Lgbtqia+ Film Festival (March 19-30) has unveiled its full line-up, with 56 features across three strands, exploring subjects such as Kenya’s ballroom scene and the appeal of dating apps.

The programme has films and shorts from 41 countries, with six world premiere features. These include Kenyan filmmaker Njoroge Muthoni’s documentaryHow To Live, which explores Nairobi’s vibrant ballroom scene and celebrates queer African joy.

In Yu-jin Lee’s Manok, the owner of a South Korean lesbian bar must return to her small hometown after clashing with the city’s younger queer community.

Buenos Aires-set comedy drama Few...

With “The World According to Allee Willis,” director Alexis Manya Spraic offers a welcome change in an era in which documentary filmmaking frequently follows established patterns. The film beautifully tells the story of a songwriter whose music you’ve probably sung along to, even if you don’t know her name. Willis’s music can be heard in many popular songs, from “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire to the theme song for “Friends,” but her story hasn’t been shared publicly until now.

This documentary is special because of the unique way it tells a life story. Spraic uses Willis’s extensive self-documentation to guide the story rather than following a typical chronological structure. This is reminiscent of Agnès Varda’s later works, where the subject becomes both the storyteller and the subject, creating a rich narrative that feels both intimate and broad.

With an estimated 60 million records sold and a creative output spanning music,...

One of the best things about the late great songwriter Allee Willis is that anyone who considers themselves a fan of hers can still be hit by one of her accomplishments by surprise. Such is the crux of the new documentary released by Magnolia Pictures titled “The World According to Allee Willis.”

Though the quirky creative was hard to miss in a crowd, with her signature haircut and colorful outfits, Willis is somewhat of a hidden figure among the world of music and film, colloquially referred to as the white woman who co-wrote Earth, Wind, and Fire’s eternal hit “September,” yet somehow worked on “I’ll Be There for You” by The Rembrandts too, also known as the theme song for “Friends.”

That said, Willis’s two Grammy Awards actually come from the original music she wrote for stage and screen. In the exclusive clip above from “The World According to Allee Willis,...

Partners Sideshow Pictures and Janus Films open All We Imagine As Light on Friday and will follow the playbook for Drive My Car, the indie distributor’s first film that began a slow rollout about this time in 2021, collecting awards, nice grosses and finishing with an International Picture Oscar win amid a flurry of nominations. Payal Kapadia’s film, among the best reviewed of the year, was snubbed by India for an Oscar selection. Its distributor has something to say about that and is campaigning for other key categories.

Also this weekend, comedy A Real Pain with Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin from Searchlight Pictures hits 900-plus screens in a major expansion. Sony Pictures Classics’ Saorsie Ronan starrer The Outrun, which opened in early October and was down to 19 screens, is jumping back to 200 by popular demand, which is nice to hear.

Gkids debuts Ghost Cat Anzu on 300-plus screens.

"She always wanted people to know their own brilliance and creativity." Magnolia Pictures has unveiled an official trailer for a documentary film called The World According to Allee Willis, a life-affirming and deeply inspiring look at an amazing artist named Allee Willis. Willis passed away in 2019 at the age of 72, but left behind tons of archival footage and recordings, which have been put together to make this doc film about her. Songwriter / artist Allee Willis began filming her life as a kid in 1950s Detroit & never stopped. She pursued creative expression at all costs while struggling to fit established gender and sexual norms - until she found a path to love through self-acceptance. Willis co-wrote hit songs including "September" & "Boogie Wonderland" by Earth, Wind & Fire, "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" by Pet Shop Boys. She also won two Grammy Awards for Beverly Hills Cop and The Color Purple.

Exclusive: The 48th San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival aka Frameline48 wrapped over the weekend and presented it awards after a slate of 120 in-person screenings and programs featuring international LGBTQ+ filmmakers and Bay Area artists.

Frameline48 highlights included a 30th anniversary screening of the 4K restoration of Go Fish; the “queer premiere” of Anthony Schatteman’s Young Hearts; the U.S. premiere of Juan Pablo Di Pace and Andrés P. Estrada’s Duino, world premieres of Deborah Craig’s Sally! (co-directed by Jörg Fockele and Ondine Rarey) and Osama Chami’s Una película barata; and screenings of Harrison Xu, Ivan Leung and Katherine Dudas’ Extremely Unique Dynamic, Marco Berger’s The Astronaut Lovers (Los amantes astronautas) and Luke Willis’ Lady Like, which saw the director and Lady Camden, the film’s subject, in attendance.

The Frameline kickoff celebration featured a live performance by singer, songwriter and producer Linda Perry, followed...

Magnolia Pictures has acquired North American rights to “The World According to Allee Wilis,” a new documentary about the musical powerhouse best known for writing the “Friends” theme song and Earth Wind & Fire’s “September.”

The film, which is directed by Alexis Spraic, had its world premiere at SXSW and has been hitting the festival circuit. It most recently screened at the Provincetown Film Festival, and will next be showcased at Frameline.

The documentary features interviews with musicians, artists and power players such as Mark Cuban, Cyndi Lauper, Lily Tomlin, Paul Reubens, Michael Patrick King, Patti Labelle, Pet Shop Boys, Pamela Adlon, Paul Feig and Mark Mothersbaugh (Mothersbaugh also composed the music for the film).

The filmmakers say that Willis, who always dressed in “a cacophony of prints and colors” and boasted a “signature asymmetrical haircut,” had a public persona that was brashly confident. However, privately, Willis struggled with not...

The biographical documentary is a genre that lends itself to a reliable storytelling formula. First, we look back on the origins of the subject; we are introduced to some of the key figures that helped them along the way; we are shown the beginning of their career all the way to the end, and are then left to contemplate their legacy.

Due to the predictability of this format, these documentaries can often come off as by-the-numbers, taking us on a telegraphed emotional journey intended as a crowdpleaser. But every once in a while, there’s a subject who is so unique that their story elevates the formula. Allee Willis is one such subject, with a life story that’s energetic, colorful and invigorating to witness. Director Alexis Manya Spraic crafts a documentary that strives to be just as fascinating as its subject.

The World According to Allee Willis, which premiered at SXSW earlier this month,...

Directed by Blitz Bazawule from a script by Marcus Gardley, Alice Walker’s novel comes to life on the big screen once again with this stage-to-screen adaptation of the classic coming-of-age story. Fantasia Barrino leads the cast in her feature film debut as Celie, who, despite a life of hardships (from personal to societal), finds strength and solace in sisterhood. Featuring an A-list ensemble including Danielle Brooks, Halle Bailey, Colman Domingo, Taraji P. Henson, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., and more, the Oscar-nominated “The Color Purple” makes its streaming debut on Max on Friday, Feb. 16. You can watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of Max.

How to Watch 'The Color Purple' When: Friday, February 16, 2024 Where: Max Stream: Watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of Max. 7-Day Free Trial$9.99+ / month Max via amazon.com About 'The Color Purple'

“The Color Purple” takes on a new hue as Brenda Russell, Allee Willis,...

Warner Bros. PIctures’ The Color Purple will make its streaming debut on Max on February 16.

The Blitz Bazawule-directed musical adaptation stars Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., Halle Bailey, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Danielle Brooks.

Adapted from the novel and Broadway musical, the film takes on the classic story of love and resilience. Torn apart from her sister Nettie (Bailey) and her children, Celie (Barrino) faces many hardships in her life, including an abusive husband simply called Mister (Domingo). With the support of sultry singer Shug Avery (Henson) and stand-her-ground stepdaughter Sofia (Brooks), Celie ultimately finds extraordinary strength in the unbreakable bonds of a new kind of sisterhood.

Bazawule directs from a screenplay by Marcus Gardley, whose script is based on the novel by Alice Walker and based on the musical stage play, book by Marsha Norman, music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray,...

March fest announces multiple competition sections.

SXSW announced on Wednesday that Netflix series 3 Body Problem from Game Of Thrones co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss is the festival’s opening night TV premiere, while Universal’s action comedy The Fall Guy with Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt is the centrepiece screening.

Top brass at the Austin, Texas, festival (March 8-16) also unveiled feature and short competitions and Midnighters and Global sections, as well as select titles from other categories and Xr Experience for the 31st edition.

Headliners selections include world premieres of Pamela Adlon’s Babes starring Ilana Glazer,...

Hello and welcome to the Scene 2 Seen Podcast. I am Valerie Complex, an associate editor and film writer at Deadline.

Today, I am chatting with writer-actress-singer Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, who stars as young Celie in the new musical film version of The Color Purple, and with Fatima Robinson, the famed choreographer who helped create the movie’s spectacular dance pieces.

The Color Purple is based on the Tony-winning musical from Marsha Norman, Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray, which was based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Alice Walker. It comes on the heels of a classic 1985 film adaptation from director Steven Spielberg and centers on Celie, a Black Southern woman who struggles to find her identity after suffering abuse from her father and others over the course of 40 years.

Prior to appearing in The Color Purple, Mpasi was a staff writer on the Paramount+ series Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies,...

Los Angeles, California – December 06: Taraji P. Henson attends the Los Angeles Premiere of Warner Bros.’ “The Color Purple” at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on December 06, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stewart Cook/Getty Images for Warner Bros. ) The big difference between the original film version of The Color Purple and the new version? It’s the music, of course! The new version of The Color Purple is based on the musical, which opened on Broadway in music written by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray. All were accomplished songwriters — Russell had a solo career of her own (Piano in the Dark), Willis co-wrote songs like Earth Wind & Fire’s classic September and The Rembrandts’ I’ll Be There For You, and Bray co-wrote several of Madonna’s early hits. The three brought a diverse set of ideas to the table when writing music for The Color Purple,...

The Color Purple has surpassed $25 million at the box office, outgrossing several other major 2023 releases. The movie is based on the 2005 Broadway musical inspired by the 1982 novel by Alice Walker. It took only two days for it to reach this box office milestone.

The Color Purple has already passed a major box office milestone. The new movie is based on the Broadway musical of the same name by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray, which was in turn based on the 1982 novel by Alice Walker. The movie, which is set in the American South during the early 20th century, follows a woman named Celie (Fantasia Barrino), who finds strength from her connections with the women in her life, including her stepdaughter-in-law Sofia (Danielle Brooks) and nightclub singer Shug Avery (Taraji P. Henson).

Per Variety, the The Color Purple box office has added an additional $7.1 to its gross in North America on the post-Christmas Tuesday.

Lachanze, the actress who played the central character Celie Harris Johnson in the 2005 Broadway musical adaptation of The Color Purple, posted yesterday about the new movie musical produced by Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg.

Lachanze said she was “thrilled for the movie’s success” and “happy for all involved,” but added, “I do want my royalty fee for the lyrics I added to ‘I’M Here.

“I am getting a lot of Dm’s and posts about why I’ve been left out of the press as the original Celie in the [The Color Purple] (musical),” she wrote. “I am thrilled for the movie’s success! Happy for all involved,” the 62-year-old tweeted Tuesday. “However, I do want my royalty fee for the lyrics I added to ‘I’M Here.'”

I am getting a lot of Dm’s and posts about why I’ve been left out of the...

The Color Purple Movie Review Rating:

Star Cast: Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., Halle Bailey, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Fantasia Barrino

Director: Blitz Bazawule

The Color Purple Movie Review Out ( Photo Credit – IMDb )

What’s Good: The musical numbers are exciting for their energy and emotion. The cast assembled for this film is exceptional for fitting the roles of both a period drama and a Broadway-style musical. Despite the lengthy running time, the music is able to keep up the pace, and the drama unfolds with a heartfelt sincerity.

What’s Bad: The most concerning aspect of the film is how it stages its darker nature of r*pe, teenage pregnancy, s*xual abuse, and racism with a coat of upbeat musical numbers to break up the somberness. The musical numbers also elongate scenes longer, despite the film being less lengthy than the 1985 film.

Loo Break: When...

For a story so filled with trauma and sorrow — violence, suffering, racism, child abduction, spousal abuse — the second screen adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1982 novel, The Color Purple, is a surprisingly joyful experience. The prevailing takeaway is its resounding themes of spirituality, self-discovery, redemption and resilience. Based on the 2005 Broadway musical that was revived to great acclaim 10 years later, the production marks a confident move onto a much larger canvas for Ghanaian multimedia artist Blitz Bazawule. It nods graciously to the imprint of Steven Spielberg’s 1985 film while vigorously forging its own identity.

The connection to the earlier version is partly built in by having Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey and Quincy Jones back on board as producers (alongside stage producer Scott Sanders). It’s also evident in the color palette of those shimmering Amblin skies, in two songs from the movie incorporated into the Broadway score and in an unbilled cameo early on.

Blitz Bazawule’s big-screen adaptation of Alice Walker’s 1982 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Color Purple and its 2005 musical theater production is basically echo-chamber karaoke. The film knows the words and tunes but, with rare exception, lacks the passion and the perspective to make them truly resonate.

Walker’s book charted the emotional, sexual, and implicitly political coming of age of an African-American girl named Celie, whose life in rural, early-20th-century Georgia is several tiers below hell. She’s borne two children by a man, Alphonso, who beats and rapes her, and whom she knows as her father. And then a barbaric farmer known as Mister comes calling. He has eyes for Celie’s sister, Nettie, but Alphonso pawns off Celie instead, women being, in the eyes of these men, chattel-like property with inarguable coital benefits.

The book is written in epistolary style, with Celie addressing an unseen God throughout.

Alice Walker started the phenomenon with her Pulitzer-winning 1982 book, and three years later Steven Spielberg turned it into a movie that got 11 Oscar nominations. In 2005, it took on new life as a Broadway musical, and in 2015 that musical got a Tony- and Grammy-winning revival.

Along the way it made big film and stage stars out of Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Cynthia Erivo, Danielle Brooks and Fantasia Barrino, the latter now making her feature starring debut as Celie in the new film version of the musical she led 18 years ago on Broadway. The Color Purple is indestructible, and that is also a good word to describe director Blitz Bazawule’s and screenwriter Marcus Gardley’s take that breathes exciting life into the story for new and older generations but also, to quote an original song from this film, really finds a way to “Keep It Movin’.”

Musicals have gone through a tough time recently.

In response to her Golden Globe nomination Monday for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy in The Color Purple, Fantasia Barrino starts the conversation with gratitude as she swore, after playing Celie on Broadway in the musical adaptation, she would never play the character again.

“I’ve said in Interviews before that I would never play this role again because of post-traumatic stress, but I am so glad that I didn’t allow fear to stand in my way,” she said after this morning’s nominations were revealed.

Barrino first rose to fame in 2004 when she won the third season of American Idol with her powerful, raspy voice and emotional performances. After releasing her debut song “I Believe,” which later became the fastest-selling single in history by an Idol contestant, she released her first album. It debuted at No. 1 and was certified platinum.

Over the next few years,...

Max is nothing if not a goldmine of content, with basically something to watch for everyone, and today we are making a list of the best new movies coming to Max in December 2023 that you can watch in the upcoming month. The movies in this list are ranked according to their availability dates.

Paranormal Activity (December 1)

Synopsis: After a young, middle-class couple moves into what seems like a typical suburban house, they become increasingly disturbed by a presence that may or may not be demonic but is certainly most active in the middle of the night. Especially while they sleep. Paranormal Activity builds suspense all the way to the shocking ending.

Skyfall (December 1)

Synopsis: Daniel Craig is back as Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007 in Skyfall, the 23rd adventure in the longest-running film franchise of all time. In Skyfall, Bond’s loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her.

This story about “The Color Purple” composers Nova Wav first appeared in the Race Begins issue of TheWrap magazine.

As far back as Steven Spielberg’s 1985 adaptation of Alice Walker’s game-changing novel, “The Color Purple” has always had a musical legacy. In addition to being scored by none other than Quincy Jones, the film boasted an earworm of an original song, “Miss Celie’s Blues (Sister),” that was co-penned by Lionel Richie. So it wasn’t shocking that “Purple” would spring to life in Broadway musical form, first in 2005 and then in a multi-Tony-winning revival 10 years later, which would launch the career of an exciting upstart named Cynthia Erivo.

When the prospect of an adaptation of the musical into an all-singing, all-dancing major film bloomed into reality, it was clear the team would need some new tunes to goose the already-rousing ones in the two-act musical. Enter Nova Wav,...

Warner Bros. will be juggling several tunes in the Oscar race for best original song.

Along with the multiple tracks from “Barbie” by Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, the studio will also handle numbers from their two upcoming holiday movie musicals: “The Color Purple” and “Wonka.”

The upcoming adaptation of the musical “The Color Purple” will screen in front of its first official audience of industry voters and journalists next week. Two numbers have been submitted for awards consideration — “Keep It Movin'” and a yet-to-be-announced song.

Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.

One of the film’s stars Halle Bailey, already having a breakout year with her starring role as Ariel in Walt Disney’s live adaptation of “The Little Mermaid,” has co-written “Keep It Movin’.” The track is also penned by Grammy winners Denisia Andrews, Brittany Coney and Morten Ristorp,...

Taraji P. Henson is busting down doors and taking names as fan favorite character Shug in the upcoming movie musical adaptation of “The Color Purple.” Based on the acclaimed Alice Walker novel, filmmaker Blitz Bazawule’s film follows Celie (Fantasia Barrino) as she finds solace and perhaps more with Henson’s dazzling jazz singer Shug.

Star Barrino reprises the role of Celie after previously portraying the character in the Broadway show from 2007 to 2008 before embarking on the national tour in 2010. The Broadway show began in 2005 and was later revived in 2015, with Jennifer Hudson and Cynthia Erivo among the actresses who played Celie onstage. “The Little Mermaid” breakout Halle Bailey plays the younger version of Celie in the film that spans decades.

“Maid” writer and playwright Marcus Gardley penned the script, based on Walker’s novel and the musical stage play book by Marsha Norman, with music and lyrics by Brenda Russell,...

In 1985, Steven Spielberg brought Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Color Purple, to the big screen and racked up Academy Award nominations for himself, for the film’s stars, Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg and Margaret Avery, and the film’s composer, Quincy Jones. Warner Bros. now re-adapts the story based on the musical version from director Blitz Bazawule, a multi-medium artist whose breakout first feature is the highly acclaimed The Burial of Kojo.

The official synopsis from Warner Bros. reads,

“A story of love and resilience, The Color Purple is a decades-spanning tale of one woman’s journey to independence. Celie faces many hardships in her life, but ultimately finds extraordinary strength and hope in the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.”

This new incarnation of the classic story features an ensemble cast that includes Oscar nominee Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), SAG Award winner and Tony Award nominee Danielle Brooks,...

The “A Bold New Take” behind the scenes featurette from The Color Purple begins with producer Oprah Winfrey saying, “There’s nothing that’s been more vital to me culturally, artistically, than The Color Purple.” Interviews with the cast , including Halle Bailey, Fantasia Barrino, and Taraji P. Henson, and director Blitz Bazawule describe the importance of the story and why it’s still incredibly relatable.

Fantasia Barrino stars as the adult Celie, with Phylicia Pearl Mpasi playing the young Celie. Halle Bailey plays young Nettie, Ciara is adult Nettie, Danielle Brooks plays Sofia, Taraji P. Henson stars as Shug Avery, and Colman Domingo stars as Mister. Corey Hawkins is Harpo, H.E.R. is Squeak, and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor is Mama.

Taraji P Henson, Fantasia Barrino, and Danielle Brooks in ‘The Color Purple’ (Photo © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc)

Blitz Bazawule (The Burial of Kojo) directed and Marcus Gardley (The Chi) wrote the screenplay...

The first The Color Purple trailer has arrived with American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino reprising her Broadway role. The epic musical reunites Steven Spielberg, the director of the 1985 film, with Oprah Winfrey, who made her feature film debut playing Sofia. Quincy Jones, a producer on the original film, is also back as an executive producer along with Spielberg and Winfrey.

Fantasia Barrino’s picked the perfect project as her movie debut, starring as the adult Celie, with Phylicia Pearl Mpasi as the young Celie. Halle Bailey plays young Nettie, Ciara is adult Nettie, Danielle Brooks is Sofia, Taraji P. Henson is Shug Avery, and Colman Domingo stars as Mister. Corey Hawkins is Harpo, H.E.R. is Squeak, and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor is Mama.

Blitz Bazawule directed the musical and Marcus Gardley wrote the screenplay based on the novel by Alice Walker and the musical stage play, book (of the musical stage play) by Marsha Norman,...

Oprah Winfrey said at this year’s CinemaCon that director Blitz Bazawule’s musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel is “not your Mama’s ‘Color Purple’,” and based on the first trailer, she’s right. Warner Bros. released the first trailer today, and between cinematographer Dan Laustsen’s cinematography and Fantasia Barrino’s soaring vocals, there’s enough packed into two minutes to bring out all the emotions.

Like Walker’s groundbreaking 1982 novel on which the musical is based, this feature follows Celie (Barrino as an adult and Phylicia Pearl Mpasi as a child), a Black woman struggling to survive in the South during the 1900s.

We see several sequences similar to what director Steven Spielberg had in his own adaptation of Walker’s book, released to theaters in 1985, including scenes of young Celie and her sister, Nettie (played by “Little Mermaid” star Halle Bailey as a teen) sitting in a tree,...

A bold new take on the beloved classic, here’s a first look at the brand new trailer for The Color Purple.

Warner Bros. Pictures invites you to experience the extraordinary sisterhood of three women who share one unbreakable bond in “The Color Purple.” This bold new take on the beloved classic is directed by Blitz Bazawule and produced by Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Scott Sanders and Quincy Jones.

The screenplay is by Marcus Gardley, based on the novel by Alice Walker and based on the musical stage play, book (of the musical stage play) by Marsha Norman, music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray.

“The Color Purple” stars Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., Halle Bailey, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, and Fantasia Barrino (in her major motion picture debut).

The executive producers Alice Walker, Rebecca Walker, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Carla Gardini, Mara Jacobs,...

Culturally, “The Color Purple” is many different things to many people. To some, it’s the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1982 novel of the same name by Alice Walker, the 1985 adaptation of that novel by Steven Spielberg, and more recently, it’s the 2005 musical with music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray. And it’s this musical that begets the latest cinematic take on “The Color Purple.”

Read More: Summer 2023 Movie Preview: 52 Must-See Films To Watch

This unique and bold new take on sisterhood and three women who share one unbreakable bond is directed by Blitz Bazawule and produced by Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Scott Sanders, and Quincy Jones.

Continue reading ‘The Color Purple’ Trailer: Taraji P. Henson Leads The All-Star Cast Of A Bold New Musical Experience at The Playlist.

Alice Walker’s timeless novel “The Color Purple” is returning to the big screen for the first time in four decades.

Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-nominated 1985 adaptation followed a young Black woman named Celie (then played by Whoopi Goldberg) trying to find her identity in rural Georgia while coping with her abusive father and the prejudices of the post-Antebellum South and forming a close connection with jazz singer Shug. A stage musical adaptation of Walker’s book debuted on Broadway in 2005, with Celie played by the likes of Lachanze and Cynthia Erivo throughout its run and revival. Now, in director Blitz Bazawule’s Warner Bros. film version of the musical (out Christmas Day), R&b star Fantasia Barrino, who appeared on Broadway in the show from 2007 to 2008 and then in the national tour two years later, takes on the role of Celie, with Taraji P. Henson as Shug. Watch the first...

Without giving away a single favorite thing, Oprah Winfrey brought the house down with a surprise appearance at CinemaCon 2023.

Revelers at the annual convention of movie theater owners were delighted by the mogul’s cameo at Tuesday’s presentation from Warner Bros. Pictures. Winfrey is a producer on the studio’s upcoming movie musical “The Color Purple,” based on the 1985 Steven Spielberg classic in which the former daytime host starred.

“‘The Color Purple’ in 1985 was the biggest and most important thing that happened to me. This is a full circle moment to be part of this film. It holds great personal meaning,” Winfrey told the crowd.

Appearing with director Blitz Bazawule, the pair showed the first footage ever screened from the project — a rousing and lush production that particularly showcased femme fatale Taraji P. Henson.

The film will open this coming Christmas Day, and boasts serious musical and Hollywood star power.

A new book explains how the iconic Friends intro helped save TV theme songs. Although the Friends cast wasn't especially fond of their show's opening sequence, partly because it wasn't much fun to film, the "I'll Be There for You" song by The Rembrandts helped set the tone for a sitcom that has gone on to have a huge legacy. But far from just helping to shape the NBC series throughout its ten seasons, the song played a role in changing how executives approached other series.

The legacy of Friends' opening sequence is discussed in Music for Prime Time: A History of American Television Themes and Scoring, a new book by writer Jon Burlingame. In the chapter on sitcoms, it's mentioned that there was a push to move away from themes and extended openings in both the comedy and drama space. In an excerpt from Variety, Michael Skloff, who composed...

Variety writer Jon Burlingame’s new book, “Music for Prime Time: A History of American Television Themes and Scoring,” is published today. The product of 35 years of research and more than 450 interviews, it tells the backstory of every great TV theme dating back to 1949. What follows is an excerpt from the sitcom chapter.

In the summer of 1994, ABC Entertainment president Ted Harbert (in response to a question from this writer at a network press conference) admitted that he was asking his producers to eliminate the traditional main-title sequence – and with it, the musical theme – from all new shows.

“I think it’s an antiquated practice,” he said. “It gives the audience an opportunity to take the little remote and zap around. We really have to find ways to stop them from doing that. The 60-second, or in some cases 90-second, main title that they see week after week, given all the choices they have,...

The Rembrandts’ ‘I’ll Be There For You’ may be one of the world’s most instantly familiar TV theme tunes, but its success split up the band, amid fears they’d lost everything about them that was cool.

Danny Wilde, one half of the alt-rock duo, told the UK’s Guardian newspaper that the band were initially asked to record a 43-second version of the song for the pilot of Friends – something with the same tempo as R.E.M.’s ‘Shiny Happy People.’

Wilde explained why the band, comprising himself and Phil Solem, were initially reluctant to have their name associated with the sit-com:

“It didn’t have our name on the credits. We were a pretty hip band, so stipulated that we didn’t want anyone to know we’d sold out.”

Then, when the show quickly found its mark, the cast and band joined together in...

Multiple Grammy winner Jon Batiste is set to make his acting debut in the upcoming big-screen musical adaptation of “The Color Purple,” directed by Blitz Bazawule and set at Warner Bros., an individual with knowledge of the project told TheWrap.

Batiste will play the role of Grady. Grady is Shug Avery’s husband and described as a debonair, sweet-talking piano man, who is the epitome of charm and eloquence. Taraji P. Henson is set to star as Shug Avery. The rest of the cast includes Corey Hawkins, Aunjanue Ellis, Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Ciara, Louis Gosset Jr., David Alan Grier and H.E.R. in what will also be the musician’s acting debut.

“The Color Purple” is set for release by Warner Bros. on December 20, 2023. Production is currently underway in Georgia.

Bazawule is best known as the director of Beyoncé’s “Black Is King,” and he’ll direct from...

Grammy winner Jon Batiste is set to make his acting debut in Warner Bros.’ upcoming adaptation of The Color Purple.

The film, which is being directed by Blitz Bazawule (Black Is King), is based on the Tony-winning musical from Marsha Norman, Brenda Lee, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray, which was itself adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker.

Joining a cast that includes Aunjanue Ellis, H.E.R., Corey Hawkins, and Taraji P. Henson, Batiste will play Grady, a marijuana-loving womanizer married to jazz and blues singer Shug Avery (who...

Ciara is the latest music icon to join the cast of the Warner Bros. movie musical remake of “The Color Purple,” an individual with knowledge of the project told TheWrap.

Ciara will portray the adult version of Nettie, which already has Halle Bailey (“The Little Mermaid”) portraying the younger version of the character. She joins a cast that already includes Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, Louis Gosset Jr. H.E.R., David Alan Grier and Fantasia Barrino.

Blitz Bazawule is directing “The Color Purple,” which is currently set for release by Warner Bros. on December 20, 2023. Production is set to begin this month in Georgia.

Bazawule is best known as the director of Beyoncé’s “Black Is King,” and he’ll direct from a script by Marcus Gardley (“The Chi”). “The Color Purple” also has a book by Marsha Norman and music by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray,...

Blitz Bazawule’s “The Color Purple” movie musical has found its Celie and Sofia in Fantasia Taylor and Danielle Brooks.

Both actors reprise their respective roles from the stage musical, where Taylor made her Broadway debut as Celie in 2007 following her “American Idol” win, and Brooks earned a Tony Award nomination for her portrayal of Sofia in the 2015 revival.

Taylor and Brooks’ casting was announced on Thursday as part of the ABC News special “Soul of a Nation Presents: Screen Queens Rising.” During the broadcast, “ABC News Live Prime” anchor Linsey Davis interviewed the women about reviving their roles for the film and following the Oscar-nominated big screen performances by Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey.

Brooks relived the emotional moment when Winfrey, who is producing the new movie under her Harpo Films banner, revealed that she was chosen for the role during a Zoom call.

“I am here representing all...

Taraji P. Henson has signed on to star alongside H.E.R. and Corey Hawkins in Blitz Bazawule’s (Black Is King) adaptation of The Color Purple for Warner Bros., Deadline has confirmed.

The upcoming film is based on the Tony-winning musical from Marsha Norman, Brenda Lee, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray, which was based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning epistolary novel by Alice Walker. It comes on the heels of a classic 1985 film adaptation from director Steven Spielberg and centers on Celie, a Black Southern woman who struggles to find her identity after suffering abuse from her father and others over the course of four decades.

Henson will play Shug Avery, a jazz and blues singer played in Spielberg’s adaptation by Margaret Avery, and by icons including Jennifer Hudson in various adaptations for the stage.

The Chi‘s Marcus Gardley handled the screenplay adaptation. Oprah Winfrey, who played Sofia in the 1985 film,...

Taraji P. Henson has joined the cast of the upcoming big screen musical adaptation of “The Color Purple,” directed by Blitz Bazawule and set at Warner Bros., an individual with knowledge of the project told TheWrap.

Henson will portray Shug Avery in the film, and she joins a cast that already includes Corey Hawkins and H.E.R. in what will be the musician’s acting debut.

“The Color Purple” is currently set for release by Warner Bros. on December 20, 2023.

Bazawule is best known as the director of Beyoncé’s “Black Is King,” and he’ll direct from a script by Marcus Gardley (“The Chi”). “The Color Purple” also has a book by Marsha Norman and music by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray, and the musical was a hit for its joyous score featuring jazz, ragtime, gospel, blues and African rhythms.

“The Color Purple” originated as Alice Walker’s Pulitzer...

Oscar- and Emmy-nominee Taraji P. Henson will star as Shug Avery in Blitz Bazawule’s “The Color Purple.”

The forthcoming Warner Bros. movie is an adaptation of the Tony-winning Broadway musical, which is itself an adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. The production is directed by Bazawule, best known for his work on Beyoncé’s “Black is King,” “The Burial of Kojo” and “Cherish the Day.”

Marcus Gardley (“The Chi”) wrote the screenplay, based on Alice Walker’s novel, the 1985 Warner Bros. Pictures film, and the stage musical.

In Steven Spielberg’s 1985 film version, Margaret Avery played Shug Avery — the jazz and blues singer introduced as Mister’s long-time mistress before becoming Celie’s confidant — while such talents as Jennifer Hudson, Michelle Williams, Heather Headley, Elisabeth Withers, Angela Robinson and Nicola Hughes took on the role in productions of the stage musical.

Oprah Winfrey, who made her feature...

H.E.R. has signed on for her first acting role, landing the part of Squeak in Blitz Bazawule’s forthcoming adaptation of “The Color Purple” for Warner Bros.

H.E.R. is already an Oscar winner, earning the best original song trophy in April for her song “Fight For You,” from Warner Bros.’ “Judas and the Black Messiah.” The singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist also has won four Grammys.

In her Variety cover story, the 23-year-old songstress expressed her desire to become a top musician and a top actor.

“There is so much I want to do. People don’t really get to see my comedic and fun side, except for when I’m impersonating my aunt,” she said, with a laugh. “But I definitely want to do a lot more voice-overs, and comedy, but also some serious roles.”

Catching herself, she continued: “I’m trying to do it all, I know.