The Color Purple trailer has fans hopeful for queer plot
The new film comes out January 26th in the UK.
The much-anticipated The Color Purple trailer has landed and many are speculating whether the original lesbian plot will be included.
The Color Purple is Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg’s musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s famed novel.
This new film is declared to be a “bold new take on the beloved classic,” following a tale of “extraordinary sisterhood.”
The Color Purple follows the story of an African American woman and her struggles living in the South during the early 1900s.
Spielberg’s 1985 film of the same name, starring Oprah, was nominated for an impressive 11 Oscars.
Then, in 2005, a Broadway production of the story was launched and went on to win several Tony awards through the years for its original and subsequent revival.
This latest version of The Color Purple is helmed by Fantasia Barrino playing Celie. Barrino played the character in the original Broadway musical.
Orange is the New Black’s Danielle Brooks, who played Sofia in the 2015 revival, is also reviving her role.
“I pray that the new The Color Purple keeps the queer relationship.”
Hidden Figures star Taraji P. Henson is playing Shug while The Little Mermaid’s Halle Bailey stars as a young Nettie.
In the novel, the story features a lesbian plot point with Celie and Shug.
While the Broadway musical stayed true to the lesbian narrative, the 1985 film erased the relationship.
“I pray that the new The Color Purple keeps the queer relationship in the plot. It’s essential that black queer storylines don’t get erased,” one user wrote.
“Before y’all get mad about The Color Purple, Celie was queer if not completely lesbian, in the book, only being sexually excited and enjoying sex with Shug,” another shared.
They also added: “I don’t wanna hear about shoving down our throats when the new movie come out.”
The Color Purple’s screenplay is from publicly gay writer Marcus Gardley. Considering Gardley has previously worked on LGBTQ+ projects, it’s a hopeful sign that the new film will include queer thematics.
The Color Purple is in UK cinemas on January 26th, 2024.