Maybe it was required reading in high school, perhaps you watched the Steven Speilberg-directed film in theaters or it’s possible you became smitten with the story when you saw it as a Broadway musical. However you came to know and love The Color Purple, the classic story is back for a new generation to enjoy.
The Color Purple premiered in theaters on December 25 and was nominated for Best Picture, Best Acting Ensemble, Best Costume Design and Best Hair and Makeup at the 2024 Critics Choice Awards. Starting today, January 16, the film is now available to watch at home. You can buy or rent The Color Purple on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.
The Color Purple (2023)
The Color Purple starring Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, and Danielle Brooks can now be streamed on-demand on Prime Video. Watch it online with hours of special features for $20.
Still following Alice Walker’s original storyline from the novel of the same name, the new movie is adapted from the 2005 Broadway musical. During the musical’s run, American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino took on the role of Celie, which she is reprising for the new movie.
Barrino isn’t the only star featured in the film that also graced The Color Purple Broadway stage. Danielle Brooks, known for her breakout role in Netflix’s Orange is the New Black, played Sofia in the Broadway revival in 2015 and will once again tell her story. Brooks was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Critics Choice Awards.
Other headliners of The Color Purple musical film include Empire‘s Taraji P. Henson as Shug Avery, award-winning Euphoria actor Colman Domingo plays Mister, and The Little Mermaid‘s Halle Bailey plays young Nettie, while music legend Ciara plays adult Nettie. H.E.R., David Alan Grier, Corey Hawkins, Deon Cole and Jon Batiste also star in the film.
“I believe that there’s something really divine about The Color Purple,” said Oprah Winfrey, in an ET exclusive. Winfrey produced the new adaptation and starred in the 1985 version with Whoopi Goldberg and Danny Glover. “I believe that there’s something special that, whenever Alice Walker wrote this in 1982 when it was first released, it put something into the world that was deeply meaningful, powerful, resilient, hopeful, and I think that that message of forgiveness and joy is always needed.”
“[Sofia] had the power back in the 1920s. Not many women had that or had the agency, as we now refer to, to be able to do that for themselves, but I loved playing that character,” Winfrey said about her role in the Steven Spielberg film that landed her an Academy Award nomination. “Playing that character changed me, and one of the great joys for me was to be on set watching Danielle Brooks take it on and make it her own. So, you know, when you get to be where I am, a woman of a certain age, one of the great, deep joys of your life is the satisfaction of being able to pass it on to someone else.”
Where to stream The Color Purple (2023) online
Less than four weeks after the movie opened in theaters on Christmas Day, The Color Purple (2023) is now available to buy or rent online. You can watch the film on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV for $19.99 or purchase a digital download for $24.99.
The Color Purple remake will also release on 4K UHD, DVD, and Blu-Ray on March 12.
Watch The Color Purple (2023) on Prime Video
Watch The Color Purple (2023) on Apple TV
Warner Bros. has yet to announce which streaming service the film will be available on after its theater run is over. Because Max is the streamer owned by Warner Bros., it is likely that you’ll be able to watch The Color Purple on Max soon.
What is The Color Purple (2023) based on?
The Color Purple is a book written by Alice Walker in 1982. In 1983, Walker’s novel won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. If you want to add the prolific work to your collection, it’s currently on sale at Amazon.
After the book’s big success, Steven Speilberg adapted the novel for the big screen. The Color Purple had an all-star cast including Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover and Oprah Winfrey. The movie was also a huge success sweeping awards nominations and winning several, including Goldberg securing the 1986 Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture for her role. The original film is available to stream on Max.
Watch The Color Purple (1985) on Max
Along with becoming a required reading in schools across America, the book was reimagined for a Broadway musical in 2005. The musical was so successful it was brought back in 2015 and won the 2016 Tony Awards for Best Musical Revival. The new 2023 movie is based on the stage musical and will feature many of the same songs as well as new ones.
The Color Purple (2023) official trailer
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