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Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series spotlighting the year’s most talked-about scripts continues with The Color Purple, directed by Blitz Bazawule and written by Marcus Gardley. The music-filled film boasts a stacked cast including Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks, Taraji P. Henson, Colman Domingo, Halle Bailey, Corey Hawkins and more.
Alice Walker’s 1983 Pulitzer Prize-winning book of the same name was originally adapted into a feature by Steven Spielberg in 1985 in a film that starred Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey. The story was then adapted into a musical created by Marsha Norman, which ran on Broadway from 2005-2008 and got a revival in 2015. That musical was then adapted for the screen by Gardley, whose credits included writing on The Chi and the Z: The Beginning of Everything, and the Warner Bros movie was born, with Winfrey and Steven Spielberg back from the original film as producers.
The story centers on Celie (Barrino), a young Black woman living in rural Georgia during the early 20th century. Throughout her life, Celie endures racism, sexism and abuse from those around her. Despite these hardships, the loving relationships she forms with certain women in her life, including her sister Nettie (Bailey) and singer Shug Avery (Henson), give Celie the courage to find her voice and gain independence.
One of the most emotional and impactful parts of Celie’s journey is when she finally stands up to her abusers and demands respect and equality. After being mistreated and oppressed for so long, there are moments that mark a major turning point for Celie as she claims her identity and refuses to be silenced any longer.
Using the POV of Cecile’s imagination to chart parts of that journey is what gave Bazawule, Gardley and eventually Barrino, who played the role on Broadway, the path back into a new version of Walker’s story.
“It’s sacred work and hallowed ground,” Bazuwale said at Deadline’s Contenders Film: Los Angeles. “The Color Purple is a critical and important text for so many people who are healing, so if you have nothing to say, you better shut up.”
The Color Purple premiered in theaters on Christmas Day, opening to an estimated $18 million with an A CinemaScore; its current global gross is $48.1 million. The film has received critical praise, with Barrino and Brooks both scoring Golden Globe nominations and the pic landing a Critics Choice Best Picture nom.
Click below to read the script.
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