The Color Purple spotlights Taraji P. Henson in new trailer

A new trailer for The Color Purple trades sentiment for sensation by putting the spotlight on Taraji P. Henson as Shug Avery, the larger-than-life jazz singer who changes Celie’s (Fantasia Barrino) life forever. Henson burns the house down in full flapper regalia belting her rendition of “Push Da Button,” which can be heard in full when the musical premieres in theaters on December 25.

The Color Purple follows Celie’s journey after being separated from her beloved sister (played by The Little Mermaid’s Halle Bailey), enduring an abusive childhood into an abusive, loveless marriage. Shug is one of the women, alongside Sofia (Danielle Brooks) and Squeak (H.E.R.), who inspires Celie and encourages her to take control of her own destiny.

Henson, Oscar-nominated for her role in The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, has dabbled in the musical world before, most recently playing Miss Hannigan in NBC’s Annie Live! “I remember being approached when it was on Broadway about auditioning for Shug, and I totally punked out,” Henson said during an appearance at CinemaCon. “When it came around again, I figured, ‘one and done’ that’s something that my voice can handle.”

2023’s The Color Purple is adapted from the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, which is in turn based on Alice Walker’s novel of the same name. The book was previously adapted for the silver screen in 1985 with a film directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Whoopi Goldberg as Celie and Oprah Winfrey as Sofia.

Winfrey and Spielberg are both producers on the new movie musical, which is directed by Blitz Bazawule. “As long as there is a need for people to feel what it means to be loved up… there will be a need for The Color Purple. I believe that in the future, this story just grows, and it never grows old,” Winfrey said in a previous virtual Q&A (via The Hollywood Reporter). “It is a classic, it is iconic. To be able to step into that with a boldness of vision that Blitz had for this film, and create this magically realized version, where we actually go inside Celie’s head is pretty incredible.”