Ghana: Blitz the Ambassador to direct The Color Purple musical film

The film's executive producers are Alice Walker, Rebecca Walker, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Carla Gardini and Mara Jacobs, while Marcus Gardley is tasked with writing the screenplay.

The Warner Bros musical film will be produced by Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Scott Sanders and Quincy Jones  –  all of whom were reportedly highly impressed with the visual approach on Bazawule’s 2018 directorial debut The Burial of Kojo and a subsequent video-call pitch.

The Burial of Kojo is Ghana’s first Golden Globes entry. It won the Best Narrative Feature (World Cinema) Award at HBO’s Urbanworld Film Festival, where it premiered. It also emerged tops at the 2019 Luxor African Film Festival in Egypt.

“We were all blown away by Blitz’s unique vision as a director and look forward to seeing how he brings the next evolution of this beloved story to life,” Winfrey said.

The Color Purple tells a powerful story about the problems young African American girls faced during the early 20th century, including racism, sexism and sexual violence. It follows the story of Celia who, with the help of two female companions, finds self-worth despite significant hurdles. The novel, written by Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Alice Walkerm was first made into a period drama film in 1985. It was directed by Spielberg and went on to secure 11 Oscar nominations. A 2005 Broadway musical followed, from which Bazawule will draw inspiration for the new production.

A senior TED fellow, Bazawule is the founder of the Africa Film Society and a recipient of the Vilcek Prize. As a musician, performing under the stage name Blitz the Ambassador, he has released multiple EPs and four full-length albums including Stereotype (2009), Native Sun (2011), Afropolitan Dreams (2014) and Diasporadical (2016).