Ciara's next film role will be in The Color Purple. According to Entertainment Weekly, she has been cast in the upcoming musical film adaptation. Ciara will play an adult version of Nettie in the film. A younger version of the character will also be played by Halle Bailey. Ciara is a well-known R&B artist, having made a name for herself with her debut album Goodies in 2004. The singer previously appeared in That's My Boy with Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg. Ciara joins Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks, Taraji P. Henson, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., Louis Gossett Jr., and David Alan Grier in the latest adaptation of The Color Purple.
The film will be directed by Blitz Bazawule whose previous directing work includes Black is King and The Burial of Kojo. The film's screenplay was written by Marcus Gardley whose writing credits include Tales of The City, Foundation, and The Chi. The film is based on the 1982 book by Alice Walker. Walker will be an executive producer for the film, along with her daughter Rebecca Walker. It is also based on the 2005 musical stage production. Steven Spielberg who directed the 1985 adaptation will be a producer for the film.
Oprah Winfrey will also be a producer — she played Sofia in the 1985 film version. For her work in the film, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. "I don't know anybody who's ever been associated with [The Color Purple] whose life didn't get enhanced," Winfrey previously told Collider about the film.
"Everything comes from the original words of Alice Walker, which were grounded in love, really. Love of this community. Love of these people. Love of those characters. And that just gets passed on and passed on and passed on. I can't wait to see this next evolvement, which is not attached to having done it the way we've always done it."
Quincy Jones will be a producer for the film. Jones was also a producer on the 1985 film and the 2005 stage musical. Scott Sanders will also be a producer for the film, he was also a producer for the stage musical. Mara Jacobs, Carla Gardini, Kristie Macosko Krieger, and Adam Fell will be executive producers for the film.
The Color Purple is scheduled to be released on December 20, 2023. Production on the film is scheduled to begin this month.