The adapted Musical of The Color Purple doesn't seem to be living up to the standards of its predecessor. It is one of my favorite movies and I have watched it a million times. Debuting in 1985, the original film was directed by Steven Spielberg with the screenplay based on the book written by Alice Walker, which I’ve read. In 2005, a musical was produced based on a book written by Marsha Norman with music from Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray. Both productions have high box office numbers but the latest one had a rough start in theaters.
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The original film grossed $98.4 million with a $15 million budget. While the Broadway musical grossed $148 million with an $11 million budget. Although the latest adaptation performed great on Christmas day, the numbers rapidly declined and never seemed to recover. There are many theories about why this happened. One being the lack of diversity among the audience as it is typically enjoyed by a specific group with little room for error in marketing. The budget for the film was $90 million with another $40 million specifically for marketing.
Already Streaming After 4 Weeks!
Only 4 weeks after the release of the 2023 version of The Color Purple we witnessed publicity turn negative on social media. Starting with issues among the crew. Taraji P. Henson and Oprah Winfrey were alleged to have differences pointed out by fans through their body language at press events. The supposed feud rumors only grew after Taraji began to speak about the inequality of pay in Hollywood. Although her experiences were valid, timing is everything. In light of the backlash, statements were made to clarify the situation, but the damage seems to have been done and is reflected in the box office numbers.
The issues of pay inequality could have been a great marketing strategy if it was taken into consideration before opening day. The movie has already hit streaming platforms and producers are hoping to recoup from the lack of reception from movie goers. There are many speculations from fans about Taraji P. Henson’s career but we won’t witness the full effects for quite some time.
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