Stunning first trailer drops for The Color Purple

Hot Press was among a select group of international publications to get a sneak peak at the trailer for The Color Purple, the eagerly anticipated cinematic adaptation of the 2005 stage musical, which of course was adapted from Alice Walker’s classic 1985 novel.

Boasting gorgeous visuals and a stirring soundtrack, the mouthwatering trailer suggests director Blitz Bazawule’s epic will be among the must-see movies of 2024. Once again, The Color Purple tells the story of Celie (Fantasia Barrino) and her struggles in the early 20th century American south. The brilliant cast also includes Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, H.E.R and Louis Gossett Jr.

As well getting a glimpse of the trailer, Hot Press also heard from producer Oprah Winfrey, who also starred in Steven Spielberg’s original adaptation of The Color Purple in 1985.

“Back in 2005, the producer Scott Sanders believed you could make a musical out of The Color Purple,” commented Winfrey. “In 2015, he thought we could take it to film, and I can’t tell you what a full circle moment this is. While we were filming in 1985, I remember saying to Steven, ‘People are saying I’m going to be famous, so you might wanna put my name on the poster.’

“He said, ‘Your name can’t go on the poster – your lawyer already worked that out!’ So it is just a joy to see my name not on the poster, but definitely on the trailer for the reimagined, bold new take on The Color Purple almost 40 years later. The reason this moment is so important is because as long as there is a need for self-discovery and self-empowerment, for victory in someone’s life, and for people to know what it means to be made whole through someone’s love, there will be a need for The Color Purple.”

Check out the trailer below and stay tuned for more from Oprah Winfrey and Blitz Bazawule in Hot Press closer to the movie’s release.

The Color Purple will be released in Ireland early in 2024.