“Empire” star Taraji P. Henson will play Shug Avery in Blitz Bazawule’s new adaptation of Tony-winning Broadway musical “The Color Purple” for Warner Bros. Pictures.
The musical is itself an adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel which became the famed 1985 Steven Spielberg film. The story follows a young African-American girl named Celie in the early 20th century who is transformed as she finds her self-worth through the help of two strong female companions.
Margaret Avery played Shug in the 1985 film, a blues singer introduced as Mister’s long-time mistress before becoming Celie’s confidant. Henson joins Corey Hawkins and H.E.R. who have already been cast as Harpo and Squeak respectively in the new take.
Marcus Gardley (“The Chi”) wrote the new film’s screenplay while Oprah Winfrey, who made her feature acting debut in Spielberg’s film, is producing this. Spielberg, Scott Sanders and Quincy Jones are also producing.
Source: Variety
