[Editor’s note: This interview was recorded prior to the SAG strike.]

The Big Picture

Blitz Bazawule’s The Color Purple is due in theaters in December and is expected to be a major player this awards season. The film features a phenomenal ensemble that includes Halle Bailey, Aunjanue Ellis, Fantasia Barrino, Colman Domingo, and many more. Corey Hawkins, who plays Harpo Johnson, says to watch out for Danielle Brooks’ performance as Sofia in particular.

We’re still over four months away from the release of Blitz Bazawule’s The Color Purple, but many are predicting it could be a major player this awards season, and who could blame them? Not only is the film based on iconic source material, but it features an ensemble that’s packed to the brim with top-notch talent. There’s The Little Mermaid’s Halle Bailey, Academy Award nominee Aunjanue Ellis, Grammy winner Fantasia Barrino, and so many more. While Corey Hawkins insists they’re all phenomenal in the film, he noted that one especially impressive performance comes from his Juilliard classmate, Danielle Brooks.

Whereas the 1985 Steven Spielberg film is a direct adaptation of the 1982 novel, Bazawule’s film is based on the stage music, which, of course, is based on the Alice Walker novel. Hawkins is playing Harpo Johnson in the upcoming film, the son of Albert (a.k.a. Mister) played by Colman Domingo. Harpo goes on to marry Brooks’ Sofia, a fiery spirit who refuses to submit to any form of oppression.

Image via Warner Bros.

While promoting his new movie, The Last Voyage of the Demeter, Hawkins took a moment to highlight The Color Purple and the wealth of phenomenal work we’ll see in it. Here’s what he said when given the monumental task of selecting just one performance that blew his mind while working on the film:

“Honestly, first of all, my intent going into Color Purple was to celebrate and lift these women and their stories. Period. Point-blank. I am of support, in support of. I get emotional when I think about the work that they do on that set. It’s from Taraji [P. Henson] to Fantasia [Barrino], Halle [Bailey], Phylicia [Pearl Mpasi] who plays young Celie. It literally was just incredible to watch Colman [Domingo] playing my father.

From there, Hawkins did indeed go on to select one particularly special performance, one that came from a longtime friend and collaborator, Brooks. Here’s how he put it:

“Danielle Brooks is my classmate from Juilliard. We used to sing Color Purple in the hallways and joke around and stuff like that. When we graduated, she did it on Broadway and I told them — and I knew they were gonna ultimately go to Danielle, but when I got Harpo, I was like, “She has to be Sofia,” and the producers were like, “We know, we know, we know!” [Laughs] I’m like, “She has to be Sofia.” Or I have to be her Harpo. That’s what it is. I have to be her Harpo. And she delivers an outstanding performance in Color Purple.”

Need even more proof that The Color Purple is likely to go on to be a standout film of 2023 and an Oscar contender? Check out the trailer for the December 25th release below: