The latest film adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “The Color Purple” smashed box office records with its Christmas Day opening, earning $18 million in North America – the biggest December 25 opening in 14 years.
The book, adapted into a hit movie in 1985 followed by an adaptation into a Broadway musical in 2005, has longstanding Georgia ties. Not only is the author Georgia native Alice Walker, but the story is set in Georgia, so it is particularly fitting that producers chose the Peach State to shoot the motion picture.
Filmmakers chose locations across the state to enhance the visuals needed to tell the story. Stone Mountain Park’s quarry exhibit, Starrsville Plantation in Covington, a picturesque covered bridge in Woodbury, and a dirt road in Marble Hill all served to advance the desired effects. Macon, Savannah, Richmond Hill, Palmetto, Grantville, Senoia, Whitesburg, Midway, Atlanta, and even Jekyll Island’s popular Driftwood Beach all played host to scenes from the beloved classic.
So far, the musical film has earned two Golden Globe nominations and is creating Oscar buzz. With solid reviews from critics, it has received a 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. On its opening day alone, the movie exceeded the entire opening weekends of every stage-to-screen musical adaptation that has premiered in the last few years.
The film’s success is a win for Georgia, too. Just as “The Color Purple” main character Celie’s journey has an impact on the hearts and minds of moviegoers, the film had big an impact on Georgia.
Film prep began in October 2021, and wrapped a year later in October 2022. The production also clocked 69 days for reshoots, ending in March 2023. During that time, spending reached over $73 million and more than 2,300 Georgians were hired.
Over the course of the project, 12,594 hotel nights racked up, contributing local and state taxes that help the bottom line. Georgia hires traveled…
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