Since Cynthia Erivo exists on this earth, we imagine the casting process is going to be pretty easy for Warner Bros.’ upcoming film adaptation of The Color Purple stage musical. According to Deadline, Blitz Bazawule, the Ghanaian co-director of Beyoncé’s Black Is King, will helm the movie, which, along with his 2018 drama The Burial of Kojo, reportedly impressed the project’s producers Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Scott Sanders, and Quincy Jones. As Winfrey told Deadline, “We were all blown away by Blitz’s unique vision as a director, and look forward to seeing how he brings the next evolution of this beloved story to life.â€
Oprah, of course, co-starred in Spielberg’s 1985 film adaptation of the 1982 Alice Walker novel. Bazawule, also a composer and musician with four studio albums under his belt, will direct a script from Marcus Gardley based on the 2005 stage musical, which received 11 Tony nominations upon its initial run, with star LaChanze winning Best Performance by a Leading Actress.
The show’s 2015 Broadway revival, also produced by Winfrey, landed the Tony for Best Musical Revival, and won Erivo her own award for her turn as Celie. While, yes, there’s no official word about who will be cast in the film, Cynthia Erivo currently has a Tony, a Grammy, and a Daytime Emmy for her work in The Color Purple, meaning she could EGOT from a single role, and that seems like enough of a résumé to us.