Film Adaptation of The Color Purple Musical in Development

Steven Spielberg joins the musical's original producers Oprah Winfrey, Quincy Jones, and Scott Sanders for the Warner Bros. project.

Following the success of the 2015 Broadway revival of The Color Purple, the musical adaptation of Alice Walker's novel is preparing to head to the big screen.

A film version of the show is in the early stages of development, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Oprah Winfrey, Quincy Jones, and Scott Sanders—the producing trio behind both the original 2005 production and recent revival—will team up once again for the Warner Bros. project. Joining them is Steven Spielberg, who helmed the 1985 movie of the same name (which earned Winfrey an Oscar nod).

No word yet on a production timeline, cast, or additional creative team, including a director or writer.

The musical, featuring a book by Marsha Norman and a score by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray, opened at the Broadway Theatre in December 2005. The following year, LaChanze earned a Tony Award for her performance as Celie, a black southern woman who embarks on a decades-long journey of self-acceptance and love despite a series of hardships.

The role also led to a Tony for Cynthia Erivo in 2016 for the scaled back, John Doyle-helmed staging (which also took home the Award for Best Revival of a Musical). She can be seen on the big screen herself this year in Widows and Bad Times at the El Royale.