World News
I just knew he was the right person for the job – Oprah Winfrey on why Blitz Bazawule was the right director for The Color Purple
Oprah Winfrey has said that Ghanaian rapper turn filmmaker, Blitz Bazawule was the right fit for the upcoming re-imagined musical take on the epic film, The Color Purple.
Oprah made the comment during an exclusive online Q&A session with selected media personalities ahead of the official release of The Color Purple trailer last week.
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Oprah explained: “I think by the time we saw Blitz, he was like the fifth or sixth director that we had spoken to. Blitz presented these storyboards, and within five minutes of Zooming with him, I was texting to Scott Sanders and everybody else on the call, this is the guy. And they were texting, this is the guy, this is the guy. Because he just came in there knowing the stuff. It’s like he lived it. He walked in there, he was all preyed up. He was like, I’m getting this thing today.”
Blitz giving his account also added: “This was like, you know, you dream of things like this and then they happen. And I remember getting a phone call from my agent saying, they’re remaking The Color Purple. And the obvious instinct is to go, oh, that can’t be me. I mean, it’s so legendary. I mean, starting with, of course, Alice Walker’s beautiful Pulitzer Prize winning book, to Steven Spielberg’s classic, to a Tony Award winning Broadway show. I mean, the bar is so high. And then I sat with Steven and Oprah and Scott Sanders and the team and the Warner Brothers team. And it was clear that they were gonna allow us to really expand the canon of The Color Purple
So once we arrived at that point, then it became about, well, then how do you make it a musical? And I’ve been a musician for over 10 years. I’ve toured globally. I knew very quickly that music creates a level of empathy and a directness that we can lock into. And beyond that, African-American music has always set the pace for music globally. So I knew that all I had to do was lean on that and create some level of parallel between the music and the character. So we went back, we looked at gospel music as our genesis that evolved into blues, that evolved into jazz.
And that’s kind of how we arrived here. We had brilliant cast. I mean, you know, we can go on for days from Fantasia Barrino to Taraji P. Henson, to Daniel Brooks, to, of course, Coleman Domingo, the brilliant Coleman, the amazing Corey Hawkins, of course, Halle Bailey. We’ll be introducing some really fresh new voices like Felicia Pellen-Posse. And then musically, too, we knew that we needed to reach into just the icons of music, right? So we leaned into gospel, Ricky Dillard, Tamela Mann, the amazing Tamela Mann, who opens our movie with mysterious ways. We leaned into Cab Moe, who was our bluesman, who helped us arrange and bring blues to life. Christian McBride, who helped us kind of evolve jazz into what it is. And I think when you put it all together, you have a tapestry that is beautiful, it’s joyous, and as Oprah said, it’s healing.”
Warner Bros. Pictures invites you to experience the extraordinary sisterhood of three women who share one unbreakable bond in “The Color Purple.” This bold new take on the beloved classic is directed by Blitz Bazawule (“Black Is King,” “The Burial of Kojo”) and produced by Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Scott Sanders and Quincy Jones.
“The Color Purple” stars Taraji P. Henson (“What Men Want,” “Hidden Figures”), Danielle Brooks (“Peacemaker,” “Orange Is the New Black”), Colman Domingo (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Fear the Walking Dead”), Corey Hawkins (“In the Heights,” “BlacKkKlansman”), H.E.R. (“Judas and the Black Messiah,” “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration”), Halle Bailey (“The Little Mermaid,” “Grown-ish”), Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (“King Richard,” “If Beale Street Could Talk”), and Fantasia Barrino (in her major motion picture debut).
The screenplay is by Marcus Gardley (“Maid,” “The Chi”), based on the novel by Alice Walker and based on the musical stage play, book (of the musical stage play) by Marsha Norman, music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray. The executive producers Alice Walker, Rebecca Walker, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Carla Gardini, Mara Jacobs, Adam Fell, Courtenay Valenti, Sheila Walcott and Michael Beugg.
Joining director Bazawule behind the camera are director of photography Dan Laustsen (“John Wick: Chapter 4,” “The Shape of Water”), production designer Paul Denham Austerberry (“The Flash,” “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse”) and editor Jon Poll (“Bombshell,” “The Greatest Showman”). The choreographer is Fatima Robinson (“Coming 2 America,” “Dreamgirls”) and the costumes are designed by Francine Jamison-Tanchuck (“Emancipation,” “One Night in Miami…”). The music supervisors are Jordan Carroll (“The Greatest Showman,” “Godfather of Harlem”) and Morgan Rhodes (“Space Jam: A New Legacy,” “Selma”); the music is by Kris Bowers (“King Richard,” “Green Book”); and the executive music producers are Nick Baxter (“Babylon,” “CODA”), Stephen Bray (“Respect,” “Juanita”) and Blitz Bazawule.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Harpo Films Production, an Amblin Entertainment Production, a Scott Sanders Production/a QJP Production, “The Color Purple.” It will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures and is set to open in theaters in North America on December 25, 2023 and internationally beginning 18 January 2024.
World News
Major step in malaria prevention as three West African countries roll out vaccine
In a significant step forward for malaria prevention in Africa, three countries—Benin, Liberia and Sierra Leone—today launched a large-scale rollout of the life-saving malaria vaccine targeting millions of children across the three West African nations. The vaccine rollout, announced on World Malaria Day, seeks to further scale up vaccine deployment in the African region.
Today’s launch brings to eight the number of countries on the continent to offer the malaria vaccine as part of the childhood immunization programmes, extending access to more comprehensive malaria prevention. Several of the more than 30 countries in the African region that have expressed interest in the vaccine are scheduled to roll it out in the next year through support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, as efforts continue to widen its deployment in the region in coordination with other prevention measures such as long-lasting insecticidal nets and seasonal malaria chemoprevention.
Benin, which received 215 900 doses, has added the malaria vaccine to its Expanded Programme on Immunization. The malaria vaccine should be provided in a schedule of 4 doses in children from around 5 months of age.
“The introduction of the malaria vaccine in the Expanded Programme on Immunization for our children is a major step forward in the fight against this scourge. I would like to reassure that the malaria vaccines are safe and effective and contribute to the protection of our children against this serious and fatal diseases,” said Prof Benjamin Hounkpatin, Minister of Health of Benin.
In Liberia, the vaccine was launched in the southern Rivercess County and will be rolled out afterwards in five other counties which have high malaria burden. At least 45 000 children are expected to benefit from the 112 000 doses of the available vaccine.
“For far too long, malaria has stolen the laughter and dreams of our children. But today, with this vaccine and the unwavering commitment of our communities, healthcare workers and our partners, including Gavi, UNICEF and WHO, we break the chain. We have a powerful tool that will protect them from this devastating illness and related deaths, ensuring their right to health and a brighter future. Let’s end malaria in Liberia and pave the way for a healthier, more just society,” said Dr Louise Kpoto, Liberia’s Minister of Health.
Two safe and effective vaccines — RTS,S and R21 — recommended by World Health Organization (WHO), are a breakthrough for child health and malaria control. A pilot malaria vaccine programme in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi reached over 2 million children from 2019 to 2023, showing a significant reduction in malaria illness and a 13% drop in overall child mortality and substantial reductions in hospitalizations.
In Sierra Leone, the first doses were administered to children at a health centre in Western Area Rural where the authorities kicked off the rollout of 550 000 vaccine doses. The vaccine will then be delivered in health facilities nationwide.
“With the new, safe and efficacious malaria vaccine, we now have an additional tool to fight this disease. In combination with insecticide-treated nets, effective diagnosis and treatment, and indoor spraying, no child should die from malaria infection,” said Dr Austin Demby, Minister of Health of Sierra Leone.
Malaria remains a huge health challenge in the African region, which is home to 11 countries that carry approximately 70% of the global burden of malaria. The region accounted for 94% of global malaria cases and 95% of all malaria deaths in 2022, according to the World Malaria Report.
“The African region is taking positive steps in scaling up the rollout of the malaria vaccine – a game-changer in our fight against this deadly disease,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “Working with our partners, we’re committed to supporting the ongoing efforts to protect, save the lives of young children and lower the malaria burden in the region.”
Aurelia Nguyen, Chief Programme Officer at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, noted: “Today we celebrate more children gaining access to a new lifesaving tool to fight one of Africa’s deadliest diseases. This introduction of malaria vaccines into routine programmes in Benin, Liberia, and Sierra Leone alongside other proven interventions will help save lives and offer relief to families, communities and hard-pressed health systems.”
Progress against malaria has stalled in these high-burden African countries since 2017 due to factors including climate change, humanitarian crises, low access to and insufficient quality of health services, gender-related barriers, biological threats such as insecticide and drug resistance and global economic crises. Fragile health systems and critical gaps in data and surveillance have compounded the challenge.
To put malaria progress back on track, WHO recommends robust commitment to malaria responses at all levels, particularly in high-burden countries; greater domestic and international funding; science and data-driven malaria responses; urgent action on the health impacts of climate change; harnessing research and innovation; as well as strong partnerships for coordinated responses. WHO is also calling attention to addressing delays in malaria programme implementation.
World News
Kid Cudi cancels tour after breaking foot at Coachella
Kid Cudi has been forced to cancel his tour after breaking his foot at Coachella over the weekend. During the fest’s Weekend Two on Sunday night, the rapper went to the hospital with a broken foot after jumping off the stage at the Sahara Tent. (more…)
World News
The Un Certain Regard Jury of the 77th Festival de Cannes
The Canadian actor, director, screenwriter and producer Xavier Dolan will be the President of the Un Certain Regard Jury of the 77th Festival de Cannes. He will be joined by French-Senegalese screenwriter and director Maïmouna Doucouré, Moroccan director, screenwriter and producer Asmae El Moudir, German-Luxembourg actress Vicky Krieps, and American film critic, director, and writer Todd McCarthy. They will be in charge of awarding prizes for the Un Certain Regard section, which showcases art and discovery films by young auteurs.
This year, 18 films have been selected, including 8 first films. The 2023 Un Certain Regard top prize went to director Molly Manning Walker’s debut feature How to Have Sex.
When the light breaks by Rúnar Rúnarsson will open the Un Certain Regard section on Wednesday May 15, 2024.
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World News
Kanye West reportedly planning to launch porn studio
World News
Additions to the selection of the 77th Festival de Cannes
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