Fantasia, Danielle Brooks to star in 'Color Purple' remake

Feb. 4 (UPI) -- Media mogul Oprah Winfrey has announced that Fantasia Taylor, Danielle Brooks, H.E.R., Corey Hawkins, Taraji P. Henson and Halle Bailey will star in a new movie musical version of Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Color Purple.

To be directed by Blitz Bazawule, the film is set for theatrical release on Dec. 20, 2023.

"Every single character from #TheColorPurple has been made iconic over the last 40 years through different iterations -- from the Alice Walker novel to the Steven Spielberg movie to the Scott Sanders Broadway adaptations," Winfrey wrote on Instagram Thursday.

"Reimagining the beloved musical on to the big screen is a challenge, but we as producers feel prepared to take it head on with the team we've brought together. From day one we knew we had to find the right cast to live up to @blitzambassador directorial vision and Marcus Gardley's magical script-and we found them."

Taylor will play Celie, Henson will play Shug, Hawkins will play Harpo, H.E.R. will play Squeaky, the masterful Colman Domingo will play Mister, Bailey will play Young Nettie.

"But Sofia has my heart and I am ready to pass the purple baton on to the incredible @daniebb3 who will bring her version to a new generation," Winfrey said of Brooks.

Winfrey played Sofia to Whoopi Goldberg's Celie in Spielberg's 1985 film adaptation of Walker's book.

Fantasia played Celie in the 2007 Broadway musical production of The Color Purple and Brooks played Sofia in the 2015 revival of the show.