Oprah Winfrey Calls 'Color Purple' the 'Most Important Thing to Have Happened to Me'

Oprah Winfrey is looking back at The Color Purple's legacy as she teases the upcoming movie musical.

The star earned an Oscar nomination for her performance as Sofia in the 1985 Steven Spielberg film, and now she's a producer on the new adaptation, directed by Blitz Bazawule.

At CinemaCon 2023 in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Winfrey, 69, called overseeing the new production a "full-circle moment" that "holds great personal meaning" to her.

"The Color Purple in 1985 was the biggest and most important thing that ever happened to me and continues to be," she said onstage, adding, "Now we're doing a brand-new version that could only come because of the most perfect director."

Winfrey said the new version features "magical realism, wholesome family goodness and some of the best actors you've ever seen. It was such an incredible experience for me."

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Cast members Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks and Taraji P. Henson joined Winfrey and Bazawule for the presentation. Barrino, who's making her feature film debut with the movie after also playing Celie on Broadway, said of the film, "You're gonna laugh, you're gonna cry, everybody brings it. But in the end, you'll be healed. Because guess what? I was healed."

Also during the conversation, Bazawule said he was "humbled" to direct the Color Purple movie musical.

"I started this journey with the utmost respect for [Oprah] and Alice Walker, whose book truly gave us this amazing story, this beautiful story of these characters," said Bazawule. "As a story, it's known and treasured because at its core it's about finding your voice, your family and breaking through obstacles that hold us down."

CinemaCon 2023 continues through Thursday with presentations from Hollywood's major studios about their upcoming slate of movies.

The Color Purple is in theaters Dec. 25.