Taraji P. Henson has joined the cast of director Blitz Bazawule's adaptation of The Color Purple. According to Variety, Henson will play Shug Avery in the film, which is an adaptation of the Tony-winning Broadway musical, itself an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Alice Walker, and is the second version of the novel to be brought to film, after Steven Spielberg's 1985 version.
In the novel, Shug is a jazz and blues singer and the long-time mistress of "Mister" Albert Johnson before becoming Celie Harris' confidant. The character was previously played by Margaret Avery in 1985, who was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her work. The character has also been played by Jennifer Hudson, Michelle Williams, and Heather Headley on stage, among others.
Henson has a number of film and stage credits under her belt, earning herself an Oscar nomination for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and two Primetime Emmy nominations for her work in Fox's Empire. She also recently appeared as Miss Hannigan in NBC's Annie Live!, proving that she has the prowess to join a musical adaptation of such a classic work. Joining Henson in the film will be Corey Hawkins as Harpo Johnson and H.E.R. as Squeak.
The screenplay for this version of The Color Purple was written by Marcus Gardley. Oprah Winfrey, who played Sofia in the 1985 film, will produce the film through her Harpo Films banner, alongside Scott Sanders, Spielberg through his Amblin Entertainment banner, and Quincy Jones. Walker will also serve as executive producer on the film.
Bawawule's adaptation of The Color Purple is scheduled to be released on December 20, 2023. Stay tuned to Collider for more.