Oprah Winfrey serves as executive producer of the film starring Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson and Danielle Brooks.
Oprah Winfrey understands the appeal of the megastar, but when it came to The Color Purple, she had a vision.
For the upcoming film, which is the combined musical adaptation of the book by Alice Walker and the 1985 Oscar-nominated film, Winfrey knew that the studio wanted a hit. In her latest interview with The Hollywood Reporter -- which she did alongside stars Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson and Danielle Brooks -- she explains why she didn't listen to the studios' suggestion to tap Beyoncé and Rihanna.
"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," she tells the trade publication. "Once the film moved to $90 to $100 million, then everybody wants us to bring Beyoncé, 'Can you get Beyoncé or can you get Rihanna?' So we’re sitting in a room saying, 'Listen, we love Beyoncé. We love Rihanna, but there are other actors who can do this job.'"
Winfrey, who starred as Sofia in the 1985 film, already knew that one of those women would be unavailable.
"I do remember conversations about, 'Y’all, Beyoncé is going to be busy this year.' It wasn’t even a negotiation, because you’re not getting Beyoncé," she says.
In fact, Queen Bey was busy working on her Renaissance album and the record-breaking world tour that would follow. Beyoncé also released the concert film. As for Rihanna, in addition to maintaining her multimillion-dollar Fenty empire, she also welcomed her second child with A$AP Rocky.
Winfrey had a vision when working to cast the project, and after seeing Brooks (who is reprising her role as Sofia from the Broadway production), she knew that her vision for the cast was right.
"Danielle, my God, I knew from day one," the media mogul says. "I felt that one of the most fun moments was being able to call her, because I obviously had watched her on Broadway. There were other people, but she embodied it."
Winfrey revealed that she has put her whole heart in the project, with an all-Black cast and a story that is important to the culture. So much so, she has hit the pavement when it comes to promotion.
"Unfortunately, we're still there," she says about the marketing that is put behind Black projects. "That’s why I’m literally on the streets handing out tickets, OK? We are still in a place where the whole world doesn’t understand that we are such a vital part of the world, and that our stories deserve the highest of priorities -- that this is how you help to make people throughout the world connect and relate to our culture. So yeah, it's really important that this do well."
The Color Purple premieres in theaters on Dec 25.
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