Halle Bailey Says the 'Color Purple' Set Was 'Like Going to a Cookout': 'Felt Like a Family Reunion'

The actress said the "Color Purple" production was "beautifully Blackity Black"

Halle Bailey enjoyed every minute on the Color Purple set.

The Little Mermaid actress, 23, told Cosmopolitan (in an interview conducted prior to the actors' strike) that production on the upcoming movie musical "was beautifully Blackity Black."

Bailey joins a star-studded cast in the new film produced by Oprah Winfrey, who starred in the 1985 version directed by Steven Spielberg.

This adaptation, directed by Blitz Bazawule, features a cast that includes Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks, Taraji P. Henson, Louis Gossett Jr., Ciara, Corey Hawkins, David Alan Grier, Colman Domingo, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, H.E.R., Jon Batiste and Deon Cole.

"Set was like going to a cookout — it felt like a family reunion, honestly, like you’re surrounded by your aunties and cousins," said Bailey. "I was just excited to be there as a fan of everyone."

Related: 'The Color Purple' Musical Trailer: Fantasia Barrino Stars in Emotional First Glimpse of New Movie

The singer/actress said their Color Purple movie is "a labor of love."

She added, "We all care so much about the original story and really wanted to do a good job with this reimagining. People are going to lose their minds over Fantasia’s and Taraji’s performances. I get chills just thinking about it."

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"The reason I wanted to do it — and the reason I felt connected to it — is that it’s about the beautiful bond of sisterhood," she said. "What it means when you’re away from each other and how heartbreaking that is but also how special the moments you have together are."

"I could pull from my own experience with my sister, who’s my angel and my best friend. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like if we were separated in the way Nettie and Celie were," said Bailey of her sister and collaborator Chloe Bailey.

Related: Halle Bailey Credits Big Sister Chloe for Giving Her Confidence to Be Bold with Fashion: 'I Want to Be Sexy'

In her Cosmopolitan “The Breakdown” video Tuesday, Bailey said she was “more than excited to join” the production, “especially hearing that it would be a beautiful musical adaptation where I get to incorporate my love of music."

"I actually got to write an original song for the film as well, so I just can’t wait," she added. "It’s just a combination of all the things that I love and the stories that matter so much to us."

A press release called the film a "bold new take on the beloved classic" about "the extraordinary sisterhood of three women who share one unbreakable bond."

The Color Purple is in theaters Dec. 25.

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