NC native (with Oscar buzz) stars in new ‘Color Purple’ movie. Release date + ticket info
A new take on a classic story hits the big screen this holiday season — this time with a face familiar to many North Carolinians.
Nearly 40 years after Alice Walker’s novel was published in 1983 and the Oscar-nominated movie premiered in 1985, a new film adaptation of “The Color Purple” will be released on Christmas Day.
The upcoming film, described as a “bold new take on the beloved classic” of a black teenager raised in rural isolation in Georgia, will star North Carolina native Fantasia Barrino as Celie, the character played by Whoopi Goldberg in the 1985 movie.
Barrino, who won “American Idol” in 2004, also played Celie in the Broadway production from 2007 to 2008, and won the 2007 Theatre World Award for the performance in 2007. She was ineligible for Tony nominations because she was a replacement for LaChanze.
There has already been early Oscar buzz surrounding Barrino’s performance in the new film, with GoldDerby calling her an “early favorite” for the Best Actress award.
“A story of love and resilience, ‘The Color Purple’ is a decades-spanning tale of one woman’s journey to independence,” the film description says. “Celie faces many hardships in her life, but ultimately finds extraordinary strength and hope in the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.”
The 2023 movie also stars Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., Halle Bailey and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor.
Based on the novel and musical stage play, the movie is directed by Blitz Bazawule and produced by Steven Spielberg, Scott Sanders, Quincy Jones and Oprah Winfrey, who starred in the 1985 film version.
“To reinvent the movie at this time is to reinvent a phenomenon,” Winfrey previously said. “Her rawness and vulnerability, along with her singing talent, means that Fantasia is going to knock it out of the park ... Celie has to show such a range of emotion, coming from what feels like no strength to really being empowered.”
While some of the 1985 film was shot in North Carolina, the new version coming out soon was filmed in Georgia.
[RELATED: 16 movies and TV shows you didn’t know were filmed in the Charlotte area]
The movie premieres on Dec. 25, but you can buy presale tickets now.
How to get presale tickets for “The Color Purple”
You can purchase presale tickets for the new film online at fandango.com/thecolorpurple.
Fandango also has a special offer for Gifted Tickets if you’d like to purchase tickets for family or a friend, in addition to group sales for 21 or more who want to buy out a theater for the movie.
This story was originally published November 14, 2023 at 6:30 AM.
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