Alice Walker Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

The movie musical version of The Color Purple is hitting theaters this holiday season and a brand new trailer is highlighting Taraji P. Henson‘s role as Shug Avery.

Angelique Jackson Emmy and Tony Award nominee Corey Hawkins has signed with CAA for representation. Hawkins is best known for his recent performances in “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” “In the Heights,” “Topdog/Underdog” on Broadway, as well as his breakout role, portraying Dr. Dre in F.

H.E.R. is going to do, it's wow a crowd.The 26-year-old singer delivered a stunning performance during Wednesday's 2023 ESPY Awards, playing her latest single, the elegant power ballad «The Journey,» as a tribute to the 30th anniversary of basketball coach Jimmy Valvano's inspirational speech at the first ESPYS in 1993 when he was terminally ill with cancer.Valvano was an American college basketball player, coach and broadcaster who served as head coach at North Carolina State University and led his team to win the 1983 NCAA men's basketball title against the heavily favored Houston Cougars.Per , Valvano's famous speech implored the audience to laugh, think and cry each day. He also announced the formation of the V Foundation for Cancer Research, whose motto would be «Don't give up.

Oprah Winfrey says the 2023 film reimagining of The Color Purple is “one of the culminating moments” of her life. The award-winning US talk show host said the classic story was “a huge part of our culture” and that the cast and crew had been aware they were taking on a project of “immeasurable” importance. The film, due for release in the US on Christmas Day, is a reimagining of Alice Walker’s 1982 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name.

“Sisters are forever.”

this year’s CinemaCon that director Blitz Bazawule’s musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel is “not your Mama’s ‘Color Purple’,” and based on the first trailer, she’s right. Warner Bros.

Culturally, “The Color Purple” is many different things to many people. To some, it’s the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1982 novel of the same name by Alice Walker, the 1985 adaptation of that novel by Steven Spielberg, and more recently, it’s the 2005 musical with music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray.

 presents the proclamation for viewers with their first look at the Blitz Bazawule-directed reimagining of the story made iconic in the 1982 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker, the 1985 Warner Bros. Pictures film and the Tony Award-winning stage musical.Called a «revival» by producer Oprah Winfrey during the trailer's presentation, the preview gives a brief look at how the film tells the powerful and heartbreaking story of Celie, a young Black woman living in the South from the early to mid-1900s, who finds strength in an extraordinary sisterhood and unbreakable bond.«The reason this moment is so important is because for as long as there is a need for self-discovery, self-empowerment, as long as there's a need for victory in someone's life, as long as there's a need for people to know what it feels like to be loved up and to be made full and whole through somebody's love, there will be a need for ,» Winfrey told journalists. Steven Spielberg and Quincy Jones serve as producers alongside Winfrey, a full-circle moment for the trio since Spielberg directed the film adaptation in which Winfrey made her film debut and Jones produced. Fantasia Barrino makes her major motion picture debut by reprising the role of adult Celie, which she first portrayed in her Broadway debut in 2007 and won a Theatre World Award for. Danielle Brooks stars alongside her as Sofia, a role that she played on Broadway during the 2015 revival production, which earned her a Tony Award nomination.The star-studded cast includes Taraji P.

Noughts and Crosses series had more than 70 rejection letters from publishers before her first book was published. She had bolstered her determination by queuing for three hours to see her heroine Alice Walker at a bookshop event in London: she asked Walker to write “don’t give up” in the front of her book. It worked.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Debbie Allen and Amber Riley are moving into “The Lower Bottoms.” The two actors join the scripted dark comedy podcast — about denizens in a gentrifying neighborhood in West Oakland, Calif. — for Season 2. Also appearing in the second season of “The Lower Bottoms” is Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Alice Walker, who will guest star alongside returning stars including Kelsey Grammer, Theo Rossi and Annie Ilonzeh. The show is coproduced by iHeartMedia and Will Packer Media. Season 2’s first episode premieres Monday (Sept. 12) with new episodes released every Monday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other audio platforms. The second season will have a 10-episode run, the same as the first season, which was released in the summer of 2021.

The royally enjoyable cast of Signature Theatre’s The Color Purple (★★★★★) forges a chain of love with no weak links in Timothy Douglas’ knockout staging of the musical based on Alice Walker’s novel and the acclaimed 1985 motion picture.The show marks a milestone for Signature, which, according to artistic director Matthew Gardiner, had developed plans a decade ago for a take on the musical, fresh off a two-year Broadway run of the original Tony-winning production.But those plans were scuttled due to John Doyle’s 2015 Broadway revival starring powerhouses Cynthia Erivo, Jennifer Hudson, and Danielle Brooks.Eventually that production made its way to D.C. in the modified form of a Broadway touring company which, frankly, left a lot of the meat of this turbulent, decades-spanning drama still on the bone.

Angelina Jolie has revealed that her daughter Zahara has accepted an offer to study at the historically black women's liberal arts college Spelman.MORE: Angelina Jolie makes rare comment about her home life and familyThe actress shared the news with fans on Sunday in an Instagram picture of Zahara with her fellow freshman girls. "Zahara with her Spelman sisters! Congratulations to all new students starting this year. A very special place and an honor to have a family member as a new Spelman girl," Angelina captioned the post.WATCH: Angelina Jolie opens up about special reason why Zahara borrowed her Oscar dressFounded in 1881, it is the oldest private HBCU liberal arts college for women in America and is in Atlanta, Georgia.

new titles to HBO Max’s ever-changing (and formidable) roster of films. While the streaming service is parting with some notable movies in May — such as “Pride & Prejudice,” leaving May 27, and “Speed,” leaving at the end of the month — it’s more than making up for the loss with critically acclaimed additions, ranging from enduring indie fares to franchise-spanning blockbusters. Below, TheWrap highlights seven films spanning a wide variety of genres, at least one of which is sure to resonate or encourage you to go out of your cinematic comfort zone.Stephen Chbosky’s painfully accurate teen indie spawned a plethora of films dedicated to exploring high school angst and mental health, but it arguably did it best, capturing the 2010s zeitgeist with excruciating precision and dominating Tumblr discourse for years to come.

took home five Grammys Awards earlier this month, will make his big-screen acting debut in the upcoming musical remake of “The Color Purple.”The 35-year-old musician — who also serves as musical director and bandleader for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” — is set to play Grady, the husband of sexy blues singer Shug Avery, a role previously announced will be filled by 51-year-old Taraji P. Henson (“Hidden Figures,” “Empire”).

Hot off his five Grammy wins including Album of the Year this month, Oscar winner Jon Batiste has joined the remake of The Color Purple, whose producers include Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey and Quincy Jones.

Angelique Jackson After dominating the Grammy Awards with five wins, including album of the year, Jon Batiste is set to conquer a new medium — acting. The musician has joined the cast of “The Color Purple,” directed by Blitz Bazawule, for his feature acting debut.Batiste is set to portray Grady, husband to Shug Avery (played by Taraji P. Henson).

A member of the Macclesfield and Stockport quiz league has been crowned the 2022 Mastermind Champion after a perfect performance on her specialist subject, The Peak District National Park.

Angelique Jackson Elizabeth Marvel (Hulu’s “The Dropout,” “News of the World”) has joined the star-studded cast of Blitz Bazawule’s adaptation of “The Color Purple”.The forthcoming Warner Bros. musical movie is an adaptation of Alice Walker’s iconic American novel, as well as the Oscar-nominated 1985 film and Tony Award-winning Broadway musical that it inspired.Production is currently underway for the project in Georgia, where the story is set.

Ciara is taking on a new role.

Clayton Davis Ahead of tonight’s Producers Guild of America awards ceremony, the annual breakfast with the nominees for the Darryl F. Zanuck Award at the Skirball Cultural Center.The theme of the panel, moderated by PGA president Lisa Fisher, was Steven Spielberg, nominated as one of the producers for his musical “West Side Story.”During the conversation, the two-time Oscar-winning director — for “Schindler’s List” (1993) and “Saving Private Ryan” (1998) — shared with the audience that he’ll never direct another musical in his career, although he’ll be involved as a producer on some. He’s currently co-producing the musical adaptation of “The Color Purple” with Fantasia Barrino and Danielle Brooks in the lead roles.

NEW YORK -- Valerie Boyd, who wrote a well regarded biography of Zora Neale Hurston and editor of an upcoming collection of author Alice Walker's journals, has died at age 58.Publisher Simon & Schuster announced that she had died Saturday, while declining to cite a cause. (Boyd had been battling cancer).

ABC News special “Soul of a Nation: Screen Queens Rising” to reveal that she will play the role of Sofia in the new flick.Brooks, 32, portrayed the character during the show’s run on Broadway and even earned a Tony nomination in 2016.“My heart is so full, thank you,” Brooks happily sobbed on the special. “And I tell you, Ms. Oprah, I did not get to thank you enough the first time.

Fantasia Taylor will star as Celie and Danielle Brooks will play Sofia in Warner Bros’ film adaptation of the musical The Color Purple, with both reprising their respective roles on Broadway. The news was revealed Thursday during ABC’s Soul of a Nation: Screen Queens Rising special.

Angelique Jackson Blitz Bazawule’s “The Color Purple” movie musical has found its Celie and Sofia in Fantasia Barrino and Danielle Brooks.Both actors reprise their respective roles from the stage musical, where Barrino made her Broadway debut in 2007 following her “American Idol” win, and Brooks earned a Tony Award nomination for her portrayal of Sofia in the 2015 revival.Barrino and Brooks’ casting was announced on Thursday as part of the ABC News special “Soul of a Nation Presents: Screen Queens Rising.” During the broadcast, “ABC News Live Prime” anchor Linsey Davis interviewed the women about reprising their roles for the film.The upcoming Warner Bros. movie is an adaptation of the Tony-winning Broadway musical, which is itself an adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.

Taraji P. Henson's itch to sing has been scratched. The Oscar and Emmy-nominated actress is set to star as Shug Avery in, ET has confirmed.The 51-year-old actress will join H.E.R.

star as Shug Avery in a new film adaption of the Broadway musical “The Color Purple,” based in Alice Walker’s 1982 novel, according to Variety. The Warner Bros.

Taraji P. Henson has signed on to star alongside H.E.R. and Corey Hawkins in Blitz Bazawule’s (Black Is King) adaptation of The Color Purple for Warner Bros., Deadline has confirmed.

Angelique Jackson Oscar- and Emmy-nominee Taraji P. Henson will star as Shug Avery in Blitz Bazawule’s “The Color Purple.”The forthcoming Warner Bros. movie is an adaptation of the Tony-winning Broadway musical, which is itself an adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.

Black History Month, and new content celebrating Black stories across television and film is on its way.Over the course of Black History Month, many channels will premiere nonfiction specials and programming that spotlight Black leaders in politics, entertainment and social justice. PBS will premiere specials about civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer and singer Marian Anderson, while Starz will premiere a feature length documentary on Congresswoman Barbara Lee.In addition, the Smithsonian Channel will debut a four-part miniseries tracing the origins exploring the legacy of slavery around the world. Aside from new documentaries and docuseries, streaming channels like Tubi will offer hundreds of hours of Black Cinema to watch, as well as original fiction programming.

EXCLUSIVE: Greenwich Entertainment acquired North American distribution rights to Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power, the documentary directed by Peabody winner Abby Ginzberg (Soft Vengeance: Albie Sachs and the New South Africa). The documentary premiered at DOC NYC and Greenwich will release the film in theaters on August 20.

Lisa Kennedy At the start of “The Inheritance” — an experimental film about the formation of a Black collective, set in the early ’90s — Julian (Eric Lockley) rummages through a wooden crate of books he found in the West Philadelphia row house his grandmother left him.

“The Color Purple” is heading back to the big screen in bold way.

Tina Turner was basking in the glow of a stunning resurgence. Her comeback album, ‘Private Dancer‘, dropped in May and was a gigantic commercial success – a triple-Grammy winner selling 10 million copies worldwide.