The Color Purple 2023 Movie

Our editors handpick the products that we feature. We may earn commission from the links on this page.

After months (and years) of anticipation, the latest evolution of The Color Purple story has finally hit the big screen. The film premiered in theaters on Christmas Day—but if you haven’t had a chance to see it yet, here are a few sneak peeks into the magic.

Oprah joined forces with Steven Spielberg, Quincy Jones, and Scott Sanders to bring The Color Purple musical—which premiered on Broadway in 2005—to life. “To reinvent the movie at this time is to reinvent a phenomenon,” says Oprah.

In 1985, Oprah made her acting debut as Sofia in Spielberg’s adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel—and earned an Academy Award nomination. Oprah said she felt “deep down joy” while filming The Color Purple. “Being in that movie changed everything for me. I was doing work that I loved, and I was surrounded by others who were equally passionate. I was so happy every day,” she said.

Oprah calls Walker’s seminal novel, first published in 1983, one of the “national anthems for women’s empowerment.” Celie, the protagonist of The Color Purple, endures the unimaginable while growing up in rural Georgia—and triumphs, thanks in part to the support of the book’s other women protagonists, Sofia and Shug Avery.

The 2023 film is directed by Blitz Bazawule (who also helmed Beyoncé’s Black Is King). Marcus Gardley (The Chi) wrote the script, which Oprah says is now infused with a kind of magical realism: “We get to see and feel what’s going on in Celie’s imagination.”

Oprah was deeply invested in 2023’s The Color Purple, including choosing the perfect person for each role. Here are her thoughts on the casting choices and everything else you need to know about the new movie.

After the film soared into theaters, the cast has shared behind-the-scenes glimpses of how they brought the project to life. That includes a video Oprah recently posted on Instagram where she and Brooks recreate one of Sofia’s most iconic scenes together. You know the one: It’s the heart-wrenching “You told Harpo to beat me. All my life I had to fight…” moment. Watch Brooks beg Oprah to say the lines with her on Instagram here, and below.

The Color Purple arrived in movie theaters just before the end of 2023 and definitely hit with a bang—the film garnered more than $18 million at the box office on opening day. You can still buy your ticket here to see it (and you’ll definitely want to catch the spectacular scenes on the big screen). In the meantime, stream the original movie and catch up on a timeline of The Color Purple here.

The first trailer for 2023’s The Color Purple sandwiched a lot of greatness into the two-minute video: glimpses of Halle Bailey as young Nettie, Colman Domingo as Mister, and Taraji P. Henson as Shug Avery, plus Phylicia Pearl Mpasi as young Celie, Fantasia as adult Celie, and Danielle Brooks as Sofia. That’s not to mention the simply glorious costumes, settings, and singing throughout the entire trailer. Watch it below.

A few months after the first trailer was released, a second—even more stunning—trailer debuted with more moments from the film, including Bailey, Domingo, and Henson. Watch that trailer on Instagram here. And just after the movie had its official red carpet premiere (you’re going to want to check out those red carpet pics here), The Color Purple’s final trailer was released. We have a special version with an introduction from Oprah and Gayle. Hear what they have to say about the film below (including how Gayle saw the Broadway version 17 times!).

You can also watch the trailer on YouTube here—and get a load of that “Golden Globe Award Nominee” screen. That’s right: Fantasia and Danielle Brooks were nominated for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively.

The film’s Instagram also features the stunning poster—a moving poster—that shows three of our stars: Fantasia, Brooks, and Henson. See the dazzling poster for The Color Purple here.

Just after the film’s premiere, the streaming platform Max released a documentary called Oprah & The Color Purple Journey. In the special, Oprah guides viewers through some behind-the-scenes moments during the making of 2023’s The Color Purple—including conversations with Steven Spielberg and Blitz Bazawule. This documentary is the perfect pairing to enjoy after seeing the film in theaters. Watch the trailer below, and check out the documentary on Max here.

With such a powerhouse cast, it was a no-brainer to release the film’s songs on an accompanying album. The Color Purple (Music From and Inspired By) dropped a few weeks before the film’s premiere with the first single, “Lifeline,” written and performed by Alicia Keys. Listen to it on YouTube here. The rest of the album features songs from Mary J. Blige, Megan Thee Stallion, Jennifer Hudson, Ciara, and more, plus a new collaboration from H.E.R. and Usher. So, yeah—you’re going to want to listen to this soundtrack. Find it on Spotify here and Apple Music here.

The original film adaptation of The Color Purple had a legendary ensemble cast, including Whoopi Goldberg as Celie, Danny Glover as Mister, Rae Dawn Chong as Squeak, Lawrence Fishburne as Swain, and, of course, Oprah as Sofia. The 2005 premiere of The Color Purple musical featured Broadway notables like LaChanze, Brandon Victor Dixon, and Hamilton’s Renée Elise Goldsberry. The musical’s 2015 Broadway revival was no less star-studded, with Cynthia Erivo, Jennifer Hudson, and Danielle Brooks in the lead roles.

The 2023 adaptation was a chance to assemble another memorable cast. “From day one, finding a cast that could live up to the musical has been the exciting opportunity,” Oprah says. Below, Oprah shares her thoughts on why each performer chosen is the perfect person for each role.

Fantasia Barrino, an acclaimed R&B singer who rose to fame on American Idol, stars in The Color Purple as Celie. “Her rawness and vulnerability, along with her singing talent, means that Fantasia is going to knock it out of the park,” Oprah says. “Celie has to show such a range of emotion, coming from what feels like no strength to really being empowered.”

Brooks, whom you may know from Orange Is the New Black, starred as Sofia—Celie’s close friend—in the Broadway adaptation of the musical. Oprah loved her performance when she saw it onstage, so the movie casting felt natural. “It was like passing the baton to Sofia,” Oprah says. And as one of the perks of being a producer, Oprah got to personally deliver the casting news to Brooks. In a Zoom meeting, Brooks arrived believing she was meeting director Bazawule for a final conversation, and—well, just watch the sweet surprise below.

Oprah decided to tell Brooks the news because of the powerful impact playing Sofia had on her. “I wanted to be the one to tell you because I have such love of this character and everything she represents, everything she brought to my life. What I’m hoping is that she does the same thing for you,” Oprah said.

Brooks’ performance as Sofia is just as spectacular as Oprah’s was. Watch them recreate one of the character’s most iconic scenes above.

For Oprah, Shug Avery is an especially crucial character. “Shug Avery has to have a real level of pure, raw sexiness, as well as be a wisdom teacher. She’s the one that actually is the role model for Celie. Celie sees the possibilities of what a woman can be and do through Shug Avery—she’s the one who says God gets pissed if you don’t notice the color purple. She has to have some wisdom, sense, yet be sexy as hell,” Oprah says.

So, when searching for an actress to play Shug Avery, the singer who helps Celie awaken to life’s pleasures, Oprah had a very specific set of criteria. “My standard was the song in the musical that says, ‘Lock up all your husbands because Shug Avery is coming to town.’ When we were looking at actresses, I thought, Well, are you going to lock up your husband? She’s gotta be ‘Lock up your husband’ worthy. And Taraji P. Henson is indeed that,” Oprah says.

Oprah spoke to Corey Hawkins about his role in In the Heights. When director Bazawule saw Lin Manuel Miranda’s movie musical, he immediately thought of Hawkins for the role of Harpo, who marries Sofia. “Harpo has to have a friendliness and warmth and has to convey a naivete while also being supportive of Celie and Sophia,” Oprah says, which they thought Hawkins was a fit for. “We were all excited when he said yes.”

Oprah worked with Colman Domingo briefly in Selma and was looking forward to working with him again. “He always reminded me of the stature and presence of the original Mister in The Color Purple, Danny Glover. I thought, Wow, Colman could be Danny’s son,” Oprah says.

Mister is an undeniably complicated role: He is an abusive force in Celie’s life. According to Oprah, Domingo brings new facets to the role. “He can bring a multidimensional quality to Mister, which is what we’re looking for in this version of The Color Purple. There are levels of Mister that you did not know. We’re trying to give those to him, so you don’t just see the mean side,” Oprah says.

H.E.R. is a Grammy-award-winning R&B singer who made her acting debut in The Color Purple. “From the moment we approached H.E.R. about doing this role, we had our fingers crossed,” Oprah says. “We really went through some moments where we didn’t think we were going to get her because she was planning to be on tour. But she changed her schedule around to be part of this film. So it was a happy day in the Color Purple camp when we heard that H.E.R. was going to say yes and change her touring schedule to take the part.”

Nettie, Celie’s sister, appears mostly at the beginning of the story but has a vital role because of the siblings’ close relationship. “You have to have a kind of presence that holds the space during most of the movie when Nettie is gone and you only remember her through the letters,” Oprah says. Halle Bailey, one half of the sister duo Chloe x Halle and star of Disney’s live-action version of The Little Mermaid, was tapped for Nettie. “We chose her for her talent and presence,” Oprah says.

We’ve been celebrating the film for months ahead of the release. Watch Oprah surprise a young fan by inviting her to the premiere of the film here, then dive into all of Oprah’s beautiful purple outfits throughout 2023 here. See the Empire State Building turn violet in support of the film here. And don’t miss Oprah and Gayle reminiscing about the 1985 classic here. Read Oprah’s moving essay about visiting the 2023 set here, too, and cap things off by viewing Oprah’s stunning Smithsonian portrait here.

Cassie Hurwitz (she/her) is an associate editor at Oprah Daily, where she covers everything from culture to entertainment to lifestyle. She can typically be found in the middle of multiple books and TV shows all at once. Previously, Cassie worked at Parents, Rachael Ray In Season, and Reveal. Her love language is pizza (New York slices, Chicago deep dish, and otherwise).