UPDATE: Earlier this week, we heard Tyler Perry was planning on writing, directing, and producing a film adaptation of the 1975 Ntozake Shange play, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf.” Well, now he’s announcing his dream cast. While out promoting his latest film “I Can Do Bad All By Myself,” Tyler Perry spilled some secrets.
Oprah loves to act, so will you ever do a film for her?
Tyler Perry: Yes, she’s in my next movie, ‘For Colored Girls.’ Here’s what I will tell you. Here’s my dream cast, and it hasn’t been officially announced yet. There are 15 characters in the film and my dream cast is Kimberly Elise, Cicely Tyson, Ruby Dee, Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey, Halle Berry, Angela Bassett, Thandie Newton, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, and Beyonce. I’ve talked to 6 of the women and they have said yes. You have to figure out that part.
No Mary J. Blige?
She just told me that she wants to be in it, so we’ll see.
Will ‘Colored’ be different from the play and will you be throwing your name in front of the title?
My name will not be in front of the title because it’s not an original work for me. There will be no Madea, so all of you can relax. It’s going to be true to what it is. If you know anything about the play, you know that it’s a bunch of poems. There’s no real story, and that’s probably why it’s never been made into a movie. The way the movie opens is that all of these different women are leading their own lives, and they pass each other and you follow their stories. No one knows each other and halfway in the movie, they end up in this center that this woman started called ‘The Colored Girl center,’ where women go through like a 12-step program for healing. That’s what the script is about. I want to make sure that I respect and honor the play because it was written before I was born.
Who would YOU like to see in the film?
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“Tyler Perry To Write, Direct, Produce ‘For Colored Girls…’”
Apparently, no one can tell a black woman’s story through film better than Tyler Perry himself.
With “I Can Do Bad All By Myself” days away from being in theaters – that is the eighth film under his eponymous franchise – and a 2010 release date already set for “Why Did I Get Married Too?”, it’s clear that Tyler Perry is not slowing down.
The filmmaker will write, direct, and producer Ntozake Shange’s award-winning 1975 play ‘For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow is Enuf.’ It will be the first project made under his new production company, 34th Street Films.
‘For Colored Girls’ is a series of 20 poems performed through a cast of nameless women, each known only by a color. Though the subject matter can be heavy – Lady in Blue chooses to have an abortion, Lady in Red tells a tale of domestic violence – it is a must-read.
The film will feature an all-star cast of female actors. Principal photography is scheduled to begin in Atlanta in Nov. and continue through Dec.with a planned release for next year.
Perry states: “Making a film of ‘For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow is Enuf’ is a dream come true for me. Ntozake Shange’s play is a magnificent tribute to the strength and dignity of women of color, and I think audiences of all generations will be able to recognize and embrace the experiences these women represent. Creatively, this movie is one of the most exciting undertakings of my career, and I’m excited to start production this November.”
Check out the stills from the film “I Can Do Bad All By Myself”:
MJB’s Official Video: “I Can Do Bad All By Myself”
Tyler Perry’s Stalker Indicted
