H.E.R. lands first acting role in musical film 'The Color Purple'

Washington [US], August 28 : Oscar-winning singer-songwriter H.E.R. is set to make her feature film acting debut with the upcoming musical movie 'The Color Purple'.
The artist, who bagged Academy Award for best original song for her track 'Fight For You' from 'Judas and the Black Messiah', is in final negotiations to make her acting debut with 'The Color Purple'.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the upcoming film will be backed by Warner Bros. It is the feature adaptation of the Tony-winning Broadway musical, itself an adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1982 novel by Alice Walker, on which the Oscar-nominated Steven Spielberg-directed 1985 movie was based.
The story of the film revolves around a woman named Celie Harris and tracks her life-long struggles as an African American woman living in the South during the early 1900s.
The 'Focus' singer will portray the role of 'Squeak', who, in the musical, goes from a juke joint waitress to an aspiring singer.
On a related note, Rae Dawn Chong played the role of Squeak in the original Spielberg feature. Currently, the movie is in pre-production.
Filmmaker Blitz Bazawule, famous for helming the Beyonce starrer musical film 'Black Is King', is set to direct H.E.R lead 'The Color Purple'.
As per The Hollywood Reporter, Marcus Gardley has penned the screenplay, adapted from Marsha Norman's book and Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray's score.
Sources close to the production told that casting and creative decisions are being made to bring the story and its themes to a new generation of viewers.
Along with H.E.R., 'In The Heights' star Corey Hawkins also joined the film's cast this week.
As per the sources report to The Hollywood Reporter, H.E.R is working with filmmakers to possibly perform a new original song for the movie musical adaptation.
Oprah Winfrey, who had her feature acting debut in Spielberg's 'The Color Purple' and earned an Oscar nomination, is producing the fresh adaptation under her Harpo Films banner with Spielberg under his Amblin Entertainment.
Scott Sanders and Quincy Jones, both of whom were behind the Broadway musical, will also serve as producers. Walker, Rebecca Walker, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Carla Gardini, Adam Fell, and Mara Jacobs will serve as executive producers.
The film will also mark H.E.R. whose real name is Gabriella Sarmiento's reunion with Warner Bros. During this year's Oscar ceremony, the artist took home the best original song award for 'Fight For You' featured in the studio's 'Judas and the Black Messiah'.
'The Color Purple' is slated to release on December 20, 2023.