Oprah Winfrey & Steven Spielberg Teaming Up on Color Purple Movie Musical

Celie is headed back to the big screen, and this time she's singing out. Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg have announced the production of a movie musical version of Alice Walker's iconic novel The Color Purple adapted from the hit stage musical, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Winfrey, who played the role of Sofia in the 1985 film adaptation, and Spielberg, who directed, will co-produce the movie musical with Quincy Jones and Scott Sanders, who co-produced both Broadway productions with Winfrey.

The Color Purple follows the inspirational Celie as she journeys from childhood through joy and despair, anguish and hope to discover the power of love and life. The first film starred Whoopi Goldberg in an Oscar-nominated performance as Celie.

The stage adaptation of Walker's 1982 novel was first seen on Broadway in a 2005 production which won LaChanze a Tony Award for her turn as Celie; Fantasia earned a Theatre World Award taking over the role in the original Broadway mounting. The 2015 staging earned the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical along with a Tony for Cynthia Erivo as Celie.

The Color Purple stage musical features a book by Marsha Norman and a score by Stephen Bray, Brenda Russell and Allee Willis. The original Broadway production was directed by Gary Griffin; John Doyle helmed the revival.

Menno Meyjes crafted the screenplay for Spielberg’s original film. A writer and director for the movie musical version of The Color Purple have yet to be selected.

Casting is also to come. With Erivo's current cinema success (Widows, Bad Times at the El Royale, Harriet), it's safe to assume the actress has a fair shot at reprising her turn on the big screen.