Color Purple to become musical

Steven Spielberg's 1985 film The Color Purple will be the basis for a Broadway musical.

The story of a black girl’s life in the South, spanning 40 years, was adapted from Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prizewinning book, and the musical’s producers have bought the rights to both the book and Spielberg film, reports Daily Variety.

“Alice wrote it in a way that doesn’t lend itself to linear storytelling, so we have watched the film several times and may very well borrow from Steven’s instincts about how to stage the novel,” said producer Scott Sanders.

The musical is due to open on Broadway in early 2005 following a tryout run at a regional theatre in the US.