Oprah Winfrey Visited ‘The Color Purple’ Set And ‘Burst Into Happy Tears’
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Nearly 40 years after Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King starred in “The Color Purple”, the two were overcome with emotion when they visited the set of the forthcoming 2023 reincarnation of the 1985 film.
Oprah Daily went inside Winfrey and Gayle’s first set visit, which saw them fly to Savannah, Georgia to watch the cast perform the film’s finale.
“You all know movies are filmed out of sequence, which can often be challenging. On the actors’ first day filming together, they had to actually shoot the very last scene of the movie,” Winfrey noted.
“When Gayle and I saw the cast perform the finale, we couldn’t help but give a standing ovation,” she continued. “We nearly ruined the scene with our clapping and screaming, but they were so incredible.”
— Photo: Joseph Zambrano
The outing, which marked Winfrey’s first work trip in more than two and a half years, also saw her “burst into happy tears at the very first sight of the gifted Danielle Brooks,” who takes on Winfrey’s former role as Sofia.
“It felt like the baton was truly being passed on in one of the most special moments in my life. We both hugged and ugly cried together,” Winfrey shared.
Twenty years after “The Color Purple” was released, the TV personality went on to produce the Broadway musical, which Brooks also starred in. Now, Winfrey serves as one of four producers in the upcoming movie musical, which she says “has been a dream of mine for many years.”
— Photo: Joseph Zambrano
According to Winfrey, the film is “full of magical realism and visual surprises” and “carries iconic depth and meaning.”
“If you liked the original, I guarantee you’re going to be rejoicing when you see this version,” she said.
“The Color Purple” is expected to hit the big screen Christmas 2023.
