Warner Bros. will be juggling several tunes in the Oscar race for best original song.
Along with the multiple tracks from “Barbie” by Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, the studio will also handle numbers from their two upcoming holiday movie musicals: “The Color Purple” and “Wonka.”
The upcoming adaptation of the musical “The Color Purple” will screen in front of its first official audience of industry voters and journalists next week. Two numbers have been submitted for awards consideration — “Keep It Movin’” and a yet-to-be-announced song.
One of the film’s stars Halle Bailey, already having a breakout year with her starring role as Ariel in Walt Disney’s live adaptation of “The Little Mermaid,” has co-written “Keep It Movin’.” The track is also penned by Grammy winners Denisia Andrews, Brittany Coney and Morten Ristorp, who have all worked on songs performed by superstar Beyoncé. The song is sung by Bailey, who plays young Nettie, and Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, who portrays young Celie. The song race becomes another opportunity for Bailey to nab awards love this year, as she’s one of the leading candidates to nab a lead actress (comedy) nom for her work in her Disney musical.
“The Color Purple” stars Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, H.E.R., Ciara, Jon Batiste and Louis Gossett Jr. Based on the classic novel by Alice Walker, and the stage musical by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, Stephen Bray and Marsha Norman, the film tells the story of an African American woman living in the south during the early 1900s. The book was first adapted by director Steven Spielberg in 1985, who returns as a producer along with the original film’s Academy Award nominated star Oprah Winfrey, along with Quincy Jones and Scott Sanders.
“The Color Purple” will be released in theaters on Dec. 25.
Correction: A previous version of this story contained information from an outdated FYC advertisement sent to Critics Choice Association members. This story has been updated to reflect the accurate song submissions.
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