Oprah Says The Movie Studio Originally Wanted To Cast Beyonce Or Rihanna In ‘The Color Purple’

Oprah Winfrey Says The Movie Studio Originally Wanted To Cast Beyonce Or Rihanna In ‘The Color Purple’

Could y’all imagine watching ‘The Color Purple’ and seeing Beyoncé and Rihanna playing the beloved characters? Well, according to Oprah, it almost happened!

During her interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Oprah opened up about the journey it took to finally release a reimagining of ‘The Color Purple’.

Even though the movie stars Fantasia, Taraji P. Henson, and Danielle Brooks, it didn’t always start off that way. Oprah says when the movie was first pitched, the studio was hoping for a big A-list celebrity to star in the movie, but Oprah knew that wasn’t what the film needed.

 

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They reportedly wanted Beyoncé or Rihanna, but the director and producers fought hard to find people who could truly convey the roles.

“To be completely honest about it, if you were doing this film for $30 or $40 million, the interest in the cast would be very different. Once the film moved to $90 to $100 million, then everybody wants us to bring Beyoncé,” she says.

“‘Can you get Beyoncé or can you get Rihanna?’ So we’re sitting in a room saying, ‘Listen, we love Beyoncé. We love Rihanna, but there are other actors who can do this job.’”

She added, “I do remember conversations about, ‘Y’all, Beyoncé is going to be busy this year.’ It wasn’t even a negotiation, because you’re not getting Beyoncé.”