Tina Turner falls under the list of those rare stars who have turned down Steven Spielberg. The Oscar-winning director is one of the most prominent and successful filmmakers of this era. When the Jaws director deviated from his genre to make The Color Purple, the late singer, and actress was the first choice for one of the leading roles.
Many people might wonder what forced Tina Turner to turn down a Steven Spielberg directorial, it was connected to her past. The 1985 movie centered around an African-American girl suffering from several serious problems like domestic violence, racism, and sexism. The late Turner also suffered a lot in her past and didn’t want this movie to remind her of the dark past.
What forced Tina Turner to turn down the Steven Spielberg hit?
The Color Purple was based on the critically acclaimed 1982 novel of the same name by Alice Walker. The depiction of the problems suffered by African-American women during the early 20th Century in the movie was much appreciated. But it was also a major reason why the movie starred a very different cast than what was originally planned.
In an interview with Luce Cinecitta, the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll admitted how the movie reminded her of her past life and relationship with Ike Turner. The Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome actress was sadly in an abusive relationship with her former husband Ike Turner. It forced her to say “no” to the project.
“I’m trying to forget the past because it’s done. It’s over. I finished that part of my life, and I’m not going to do a part that will remind me of what I’ve lived already. I think Steve understood that I couldn’t do it for that reason, finally, after I really expressed what it was.”
Although the late singer didn’t speak about which role she was offered by Steven Spielberg, Trusted sources stated that it was the role of Shrug Avery. Later during the trailer-launch event of the upcoming remake, the Sofia actress Oprah Winfrey corroborated the reports by saying.
“I remember hearing this from [producer] Quincy Jones years ago, that they had originally gone to Tina Turner in 1985 to ask Tina Turner to play Shug Avery.”
Not known to many, The Color Purple also holds an interesting record of not winning a single Oscar out of 11 nominations even after being a box office hit and a critical success. Now it will be seen if the remake can also repeat the success and earn even more.
The Color Purple to have a musical remake
Following the success of the Steven Spielberg movie, Warner Bros. is all set to have a musical remake of the classic. Most of the original faces associated with the movie like Steven Spielberg, Quincy Jones, and Oprah Winfrey are returning as producers for the remake.
The new version of The Color Purple stars Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks, Taraji P. Henson, and Halle Bailey among the ensemble cast. When Oprah Winfrey was seen at this year’s CinemaCon event, the American talk show host opened up on how the movie has a personal place in her heart.
“The Color Purple in 1985 was the biggest and most important thing that ever happened to me and continues to be”
Succeeding Steven Spielberg, the 2023 version of the classic is directed by Blitz Bazawule, and Winfrey also praised him as “the most perfect director”. It will also be interesting to find out if the new movie’s successful in grabbing some Academy Awards unlike the original.
The Color Purple is slated to release on December 25, 2023, while the 1985 version can be rented on Apple TV+.
Source: Luce Cinecitta
