Hollywood is a fear-driven animal. The higher the budget, the bigger the fear, the more executives are going to push for A Name in the lead. Oprah Winfrey told The Hollywood Reporter about how people started pushing for Rihanna and Beyoncé in The Color Purple only after the budget went over a certain threshold. “To be completely honest about it, if you were doing this film for $30 or $40 million, the interest in the cast would be very different. Once the film moved to $90 to $100 million, then everybody wants us to bring Beyoncé,†she said. Winfrey basically had to hit them with an “In this climate?†Or really, “In the year of Reneigh?â€
It could have been nice to reunite Beyoncé with her Black Is King director Blitz Bazawule, but it wasn’t even really an option. “So we’re sitting in a room saying, ‘Listen, we love Beyoncé. We love Rihanna, but there are other actors who can do this job.’†Winfrey said. “I do remember conversations about, ‘Y’all, Beyoncé is going to be busy this year.’ It wasn’t even a negotiation, because you’re not getting Beyoncé.†Beyond questions about who was right for any one role, these girls were planning tours and babies all year. Rihanna had a pregnancy announcement to drop at the Super Bowl, and Beyoncé had an alliance with House Swift to build.