H.E.R To Star In Film Adaptation Of 'The Color Purple' Musical

Source: Aaron J. Thornton / Getty

H.E.R is slated to make her acting debut. The “Focus” singer will be starring in a film adaptation of the the musical play version of The Color Purple, The Wrap reported. The film is being brought to life by Warner Bros.

H.E.R will be playing the role of Mary Agnes aka Squeak, Harpo’s wife who went from non-threatening and timid to an aspiring singer who runs off with Shug Avery’s husband Grady. The film will be directed by Blitz Bazawule, who also directed Beyoncé’s Disney+ visual album Black Is King. It will be produced by Oprah Winfrey, who starred as Sophia in Steven Spielberg’s 1985 film adaptation of Alice Walker’s book, under Harpo Films. Quincy Jones, Spielberg, Walker will also be executive producing the film.

The Color Purple first hit Broadway in 2005 and earned 11 Tony nominations but didn’t win any of them. After being revived in late 2015, the musical scored two Tony awards for best musical revival and best actress in a musical which went to Cynthia Erivo. The musical is a beloved production, earning over $350 million in ticket sales.

H.E.R hasn’t said anything about her first movie yet. Instead, she is gearing up for her first tour dates since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. She recently unveiled the tour dates of her “Back of My Mind” tour on Instagram, which supports her debut album of the same name released in June. She recently snagged an Oscar for best original song for “Fight For You,” from the soundtrack for Judas and the Black Messiah.