“The Color Purple” is near and dear to Oprah Winfrey, but she said she did face some pressure to make sure the upcoming adaptation was a hit.
Winfrey first starred in the 1985 Steven Spielberg film. Her portrayal of Sofia was her feature film debut and earned her a best supporting actress Oscar nomination. The media mogul is now producing the latest adaptation, along with Spielberg.
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Winfrey shared some insight on how expectations changed once the funding for the film grew.
“To be completely honest about it, if you were doing this film for $30 or $40 million, the interest in the cast would be very different,” she said. “Once the film moved to $90 to $100 million, then everybody wants us to bring Beyoncé. ‘Can you get Beyoncé or can you get Rihanna?’”
The 2023 version of “The Color Purple,” directed by Blitz Bazawule, differs from the original film in that it is a big-screen adaptation of the Broadway musical that debuted in 2005 and returned to theaters in 2015.
“So we’re sitting in a room saying, ‘Listen, we love Beyoncé. We love Rihanna, but there are other actors who can do this job,’” Winfrey told the magazine. “I do remember conversations about, ‘Y’all, Beyoncé is going to be busy this year.’ It wasn’t even a negotiation, because you’re not getting Beyoncé.”
While Beyoncé or Rihanna are not involved in the film, the movie boasts an incredible and dynamic cast.
Danielle Brooks takes over Winfrey's role of Sofia, with Fantasia Barrino starring as Celie. Taraji P. Henson, Colman Domingo and Halle Bailey, Corey Hawkins, David Alan Grier, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, H.E.R., Ciara, Jon Batiste and Deon Cole, among others, are also in the film.
Henson, who also participated in The Hollywood Reporter interview along with Barrino and Brooks, added that the new version doesn't "wallow in the muck" and is more uplifting.
“The first movie missed culturally,” Henson said. “We don’t wallow in the muck. We don’t stay stuck in our traumas. We laugh, we sing, we go to church, we dance, we celebrate, we fight for joy, we find joy, we keep it. That’s all we have.”
Winfrey previously told Essence how her role in the original film “changed everything” for her. She also revealed how much they paid her at the time.
“I can’t even begin to tell you what it means to me — a person who wanted nothing more in my life than to be in ‘The Color Purple.’ And God taught me to surrender — that was the big lesson for me,” she said. “They were only offering $35,000 to be in this film, and it is the best $35,000 I ever earned.”
“It changed everything and taught me so much. It is God moving through my life,” she continued.