Moviefone Editorial

Tag: oprah winfrey

  • Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey Reteam for Musical Version of ‘The Color Purple’

    Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey Reteam for Musical Version of ‘The Color Purple’

    Warner Bros.

    First “The Color Purple” was a Pulitzer-Prize-winning book, then a Steven Spielberg movie and then a Broadway musical. And now it’s becoming a movie once again.

    Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey (who received an Oscar nomination for her supporting role in the 1985 film) are developing a new movie version based on the 2005 Broadway musical.

    Music legend Quincy Jones and writer/director Scott Sanders (who produced the recent Broadway revival) will serve as producers.  No director or cast has yet been announced.

    The musical earned 11 Tony nominations in its original 2005 Broadway run. The 2015 production won two Tonys: Best Musical Revival and Best Actress in a Musical for star Cynthia Erivo.  Jennifer Hudson made her Broadway debut as singer Shug. (Played in the original film by Margaret Avery.)

    “The Color Purple” movie was nominated for 11 Oscar nominations but didn’t a single one. Spielberg was notably snubbed as director (he didn’t even get a nomination that year), but he did win a DGA award.

    Thirty-three years after that famous snub, Winfrey has an honorary Oscar and a media empire, Spielberg has won 3 Oscars, and Whoopi Goldberg has the rare EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards.).

    Spielberg is currently working on another musical remake, “West Side Story.”

    [Via Variety]

     

     

  • Oprah Winfrey Signs Mega Deal With Apple to Make Movies, TV Shows, Books

    Oprah Winfrey is ready to extend her empire to Apple.

    The media mogul is signing a huge, multi-year content deal with the tech giant, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The deal includes film, TV, applications, books and other content to be distributed on Apple’s all-encompassing platform. Winfrey reportedly signed with Apple after being courted also by Netflix and Amazon.

    The deal is non-exclusive since Winfrey remains chairman and CEO of the cable network OWN (70 percent of which is owned by Discovery Communications). In December, Winfrey renewed her contract with OWN through 2025.

    She is exclusive to OWN for on-camera work for pay cable with the ability for on-camera work on other platforms on a limited basis — which would allow her to have some on-camera roles in the Apple content she produces.

    Winfrey’s deal comes during an “arms race” for big-name content creators among streaming companies, with Netflix recently poaching Shonda Rhimes from ABC and Ryan Murphy from Fox/FX and also making a deal for content produced by Barack and Michelle Obama. Amazon just signed Nicole Kidman to a first-look movie and TV deal.

    Winfrey is a proven creator. Her Harpo film division was responsible for Oscar-nominated “Selma.” And she is an executive producer on the acclaimed OWN series “Queen Sugar” and “Greenleaf.”

  • ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ Clip, Featurette Focuses on the Mrs-es

    Who, which, and whatsit all about? These teasers for “A Wrinkle in Time” are here to answer all your questions about the Mrs-es.

    Mindy Kaling, Oprah Winfrey, and Reese Witherspoon play, respectively, Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Whatsit, the supernatural beings who help Meg Murray (Storm Reid) on her universe-spanning quest to find her father (Chris Pine).

    This clip introduces Witherspoon’s Mrs. Whatsit, who confounds Meg and Mrs. Murry (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) but delights Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe), who declares her “harmless.” She’s certainly dressed fabulously.

    This behind-the-scenes featurette delves into the making of the Mrs-es, focusing on their fantastical outfits, dreamed up by costume designer Paco Delgado. “There’s nothing subtle about any of it,” Witherspoon laughs of the outrageous colors.

    Each of the three celestial beings has her own look and style, which was tailored to her personality. So, Mrs. Whatsit wears vibrant, earthy fabrics, while Mrs. Who reflects different cultures. And then there’s Mrs. Which, who is the diva of the bunch and has the biggest hair.

    “A Wrinkle in Time” opens in theaters March 9.

  • Oprah Says She Isn’t Running for President in 2020

    Oprah Winfrey has built her career around being an inspirational figure, and after her soaring speech at the Golden Globes earlier this year, many assumed that the trailblazer would take the next logical step: run for president. But the media queen has put the kibosh on those rumors — for now, at least — stating in a recent interview that she’s not interested in the job.

    The interview in question, with InStyle, was actually conducted several weeks before the Globes, and it’s possible that Winfrey’s mind may have changed on the subject since then. (Especially after such a strong positive reaction from fans, and some hopeful words from her best friend, Gayle King.) But her remarks make it clear that she doesn’t want to run in 2020, and strongly suggest that she probably never will.

    When asked about people’s desire to see her campaign for the office, Winfrey said that she just doesn’t think she’s cut out for the job.

    “I’ve always felt very secure and confident with myself in knowing what I could do and what I could not. And so it’s not something that interests me,” she told InStyle. “I don’t have the DNA for it.”

    Winfrey also revealed that someone had recently offered to help her run a campaign.

    “That’s not for me,” she said.

    So it certainly sounds like a pretty definitive decision on her part. Still, stranger things have happened. We’ll keep our fingers crossed that Oprah keeps an open mind.

    [via: InStyle]

  • Oprah’s 2018 Golden Globes Speech Fueled Talk of a 2020 Presidential Run

    75th Annual Golden Globe Awards - ShowNow boarding is the #Oprah2020 train.

    Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards put Oprah Winfrey in the spotlight when she received the Cecil B. de Mille Award. The media mogul made the most of her time on stage, delivering a stirring speech. Not only did she have people on their feet before she was even done, she caused a flurry of speculation that she could run for president in 2020.

    The idea has been floated before, and Winfrey’s speech had a lot of the elements of a solid campaign speech. It reminded us of what an incredible path she has taken, growing up as the child of a domestic worker and becoming an iconic talk show host and tycoon. On top of that, she shared an inspiring message that reached people of a variety of backgrounds. Specifically, Winfrey focused on the Me Too movement and the change we’re seeing in attitudes toward the abuse of women.

    “I want all of the girls watching here and now to know that a new day is on the horizon,” Winfrey said as she concluded her speech. “And when that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of magnificent women, many of whom are right here in this room tonight, and some pretty phenomenal men, fighting hard to make sure that they become the leaders who take us to the time when nobody ever has to say ‘Me too’ again.”

    Her speech clearly resonated with many people. Although Winfrey hasn’t announced plans to run in 2020, if you ask many of the people of Twitter, she’s poised to do it. In fact, some fans are ready to swear her in right now.

    A run certainly looks possible. Winfrey’s long-time partner, Stedman Graham, told the Los Angeles Times that “it’s up to the people” but that “she would absolutely do it.” It looks like our current president, Donald Trump, could have some stiff competition in the next election from a fellow TV star.

  • Golden Globes 2018: Oprah Winfrey to Receive Cecil B. DeMille Award

    Taping Of 'Queen Sugar After-Show'One of the world’s biggest stars is set to receive the Golden Globes’ biggest honor: Oprah Winfrey is the 2018 winner of the Cecil B. DeMille Award.

    The award, given annually to an influential person in the entertainment industry, is seen as a lifetime achievement honor of sorts, and has typically gone to celebs who have been Hollywood bigwigs for decades. Meryl Streep received the prestigious prize in 2017, and Winfrey’s selection signals the first time ever that the award has gone to two female recipients in consecutive years. Winfrey is also the first African-American woman to receive the prize.

    Meher Tatna, president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, released a statement about Winfrey’s fitness for the honor:

    “The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is delighted to announce Oprah Winfrey as the recipient of the 2018 Cecil B. DeMille Award. As a global media leader, philanthropist, producer, and actress, she has created an unparalleled connection with people around the world, making her one of the most respected and admired figures today. For generations, Oprah has celebrated strong female characters on and off screen, and has been a role model for women and young girls for decades. Holding titles such as Chairman, CEO, and Founder, Oprah is one of the most influential women of our time, and this honor is well deserved especially in this 75th anniversary year of the Golden Globe Awards.”

    Morgan Freeman, who won the DeMille Award in 2012, was the first to announce Winfrey’s selection, sharing the news in a sweet video message recounting his own presentation by fellow previous recipient Sidney Poitier. It’s unclear at this point if Freeman will be the one to present Winfrey with her award, but as the actor noted in his message, Winfrey is “in for an incredible night” either way.

    The 75th annual Golden Globe Awards will take place on Sunday, January 7, 2018. The telecast, hosted by Seth Meyers, will air live on NBC.

    [via: Golden Globes]

  • Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling in Talks to Star in ‘A Wrinkle in Time’

    Reese Witherspoon Mindy KalingReese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling are preparing for a journey through the tesseract!

    According to the Hollywood Reporter, the actresses are in talks to join the cast of Ava DuVernay’s “A Wrinkle in Time.” The “Selma” director is directing from a script from “Frozen” writer Jennifer Lee, who adapted Madeleine L’Engle’s award-winning classic children’s book.

    In the book, a young girl named Meg, her younger brother, and a friend travel through a tesseract (the fifth dimension) in search of her missing father. They are aided by a trio of supernatural beings named Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who, and Mrs Which.

    “Queen Sugar” — is already on board to play Mrs. Which, who appears as a shimmering light and drawls out consonants. Witherspoon would portray Mrs. Whatsit, described as an old woman wearing many layers of clothes. Kaling would be the bespectacled Mrs. Who, a gifted linguist with a propensity for quoting literature.

    Disney has yet to set a release date for “A Wrinkle in Time,” but the studio is eyeing a November filming start date.

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  • ‘Queen Sugar’ Trailer Brings Louisiana Family Strife to Gorgeous Life

    Queen Sugar“Selma” director Ava DuVernay is going to have one hell of a September. Not only is her film “The 13th” going to be the first documentary to open the New York Film Festival (as well as the first by a black director), she’ll debut a new drama series on OWN called “Queen Sugar.”

    The first trailer for the show, which was co-created/executive-produced by Oprah Winfrey, is breathtakingly cinematic and strikingly moody. The drama follows the three Borden siblings: Nova (Rutina Wesley), a journalist living in New Orleans; Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner), the wife and manager of an NBA star in Los Angeles; and Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe), an ex-con who attempts to reconnect with his son. After a tragic death, they return to their family’s sugarcane farm in Louisiana, where they face complicated pasts and relationships.
    DuVernay, who recently dropped out of helming “Black Panther,” directed the first two episodes. The other 11 episodes were all directed by women.

    “Queen Sugar” premieres over two nights on September 6 and 7, and then air on Wednesday nights on OWN.

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