Global media icon, actress and author, Oprah Winfrey has eulogized Ghanaian filmmaker, Samuel Blitz Bazawule.
This comes after the prominent director was announced to work on major international project.
The director who is popularly known as Blitz the Ambassador, will direct Warner Bros’ musical film ‘The Colour Purple’.
This film is based on the Tony-winning Broadway musical.
This new feat comes shortly after Bazawule co-directed Beyoncé’s ‘Black Is King’ visual album.
The Ghanaian filmmaker reportedly caught the attention of the producers, Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Scott Sanders, and Quincy Jones after they chanced on his movie ‘The Burial of Kojo’ on Netflix.
They made up their mind to work with him after they were convinced by his vibrant visual style.
“We were all blown away by Blitz’s unique vision as a director and look forward to seeing how he brings the next evolution of this beloved story to life,” Oprah told Deadline.
The story depicts the lives of African American families and relationships in early twentieth-century Georgia.
The musical, featuring jazz, ragtime, gospel, blues and African rhythms, has a book by Marsha Norman with music by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray.
The original Broadway musical debuted in 2005, scoring 11 Tony Award nominations in 2006 and winning for LaChanze’s role as Celie. It ran for 910 performances.
A revival in 2015 scored four more Tony noms and won for Best Revival of a Musical and for Cynthia Erivo in her Broadway debut. The musical has also won Grammy and Emmy awards.
Spielberg, directed and produced the 11-time Oscar-nominated 1985 film, which Jones also produced.
Oprah made her feature debut in the original movie and earned a Supporting Actress Oscar nomination. Oprah, Jones and Sanders also produced the Broadway musical.
