Development In November 2018, it was reported that a film adaptation of the musical was in development at
Warner Bros. Pictures and
Amblin Entertainment, the same companies that made the 1985 film adaptation of the novel, with
Steven Spielberg,
Quincy Jones,
Scott Sanders, and
Oprah Winfrey all signed on to produce. In August 2020, it was announced that
Marcus Gardley will pen the screenplay and
Black Is King's
Blitz Bazawule will direct. Winfrey praised the selection of Bazawule as director, after she and the producers saw his work on
The Burial of Kojo, saying that they "were all blown away by Blitz's unique vision as a director and look forward to seeing how he brings the next evolution of this beloved story to life." It was also announced that
Alice Walker,
Rebecca Walker,
Kristie Macosko Krieger, Carla Gardini, and Mara Jacobs will executive produce the film. The film had financing through Domain Entertainment.
Casting In August 2021,
Corey Hawkins was cast in a lead role. That same month,
H.E.R. was cast in her feature acting debut. In February 2022,
Taraji P. Henson,
Fantasia Barrino,
Danielle Brooks,
Colman Domingo, and
Halle Bailey joined the cast, with Barrino and Brooks reprising their roles from productions of the stage musical. In March 2022,
Louis Gossett Jr.,
David Alan Grier,
Tamela J. Mann,
Phylicia Mpasi,
Deon Cole,
Stephen Hill, and
Ciara joined the cast. In April 2022,
Aunjanue Ellis,
Elizabeth Marvel and
Jon Batiste joined the cast. In an interview with
The Hollywood Reporter,
Oprah Winfrey reported that the film had difficulty getting the cast that Bazawule wanted, as there were other productions with African American artists in progress. However, Winfrey explained that "if you were making this film for $30 or $40 million, the interest in the cast would be very different", but some producers put pressure on the names of the cast when the film hit $90–100 million in production, asking to include
Beyoncé or
Rihanna in the cast.
Filming Filming began in March 2022, with production taking place at Driftwood Beach on
Jekyll Island from March 16 to March 25. Filming officially wrapped in July 2022.
Allegations of unfair working conditions In a 2024 interview with
The New York Times,
Taraji P. Henson spoke out against unfair pay and working conditions while working on the film. Henson said the studio forced her to audition despite being the director's first choice. She said, "At this point I’m a
Golden Globe-winner and
Academy Award–nominated...So I went in there with a chip on my shoulder because I was like, ‘You will never second-guess me again". Henson also alleged the production forced the cast to drive in production cars to set. She disagreed with the decision, citing safety and liability concerns, and alleged that she asked, "'Can I get a driver or security to take me?' I’m not asking for the moon. They’re like, 'Well, if we do it for you, we got to do it for everybody.' Well, do it for everybody! It’s stuff like that, stuff I shouldn’t have to fight for." Fellow actor
Danielle Brooks revealed the actors did not initially get their own dressing rooms when they showed up for rehearsals, nor was food provided to them at that time. The cast reached out to
Oprah Winfrey, one of the film's producers who eventually resolved the issue. Producer Oprah Winfrey said of the matter, "I’m not in charge of the budget," adding "whenever I heard there was an issue or there was a problem, there was a problem with a cars or the problem with their food, I would step in and do whatever I could to make it right. And I believe that [Taraji] would even vouch for that and say that is true.” In 2024, Henson told
Today, that she hopes the film's negative press surrounding the working conditions doesn't distract from the film. She said, "I hope they can focus back onto this film, because right now, to me, it feels like what I said is now becoming louder than this beautiful film". She also defended Oprah saying, "What you’re not gonna do is pit two Black women together".
Differences between stage and screen versions On December 1, 2023,
BroadwayWorld revealed that the film will not be a direct copy-and-paste adaptation of the stage musical, with elements from the novel and the 1985 film also being featured, including "
Miss Celie’s Blues (Sister)," the song sung by the character of Shug Avery in the 1985 film. 13 songs from the musical were cut from the film, including "Somebody Gonna Love You," "Our Prayer," "Big Dog," "Dear God - Sofia," "Brown Betty", "Uh-Oh," "African Homeland," "Celie's Curse," "Any Little Thing," "What About Love (Reprise)," "That Fine Mister," "A Tree Named Sofia," and "All We Got to Say," while a song cut from the stage production, titled "She Be Mine," was reinstated for this film. ==Music==