A new stage adaptation of Prince's classic 1984 film Purple Rain is in the works, The New York Times reports.
The musical is being developed based on the original screenplay by Albert Magnoli and William Blinn, but will also feature a book by two-time Pulitzer finalist Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, who wrote the hit Broadway straight play Appropriate. Lileana Blain-Cruz, who was nominated for a Tony for her work on a 2022 Lincoln Center production of The Skin of Our Teeth, is on board to direct.
"We can't think of a more fitting tribute than to honour Prince and the Purple Rain legacy with this stage adaptation of the beloved story," L. Londell McMillan, chairman of the NorthStar Group, and Larry Mestel, founder and CEO of Primary Wave Music, said in a statement to Variety. "We are thrilled with our Broadway partners and creative team, who are bringing a theatricality to the film's original fictional story. We can't wait for a new generation to discover Purple Rain and for lovers of the original film and album to experience its power once again, this time live."
The original Purple Rain film was Prince's breakout role, winning the icon an Oscar for its soundtrack and cementing his legacy. It centres around the Kid, an aspiring rocker cutting his teeth in the Minneapolis club scene while contending with a difficult home life, musical rivals and a blossoming romance.
More details about the new production are expected to be coming later this year.
The musical is being developed based on the original screenplay by Albert Magnoli and William Blinn, but will also feature a book by two-time Pulitzer finalist Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, who wrote the hit Broadway straight play Appropriate. Lileana Blain-Cruz, who was nominated for a Tony for her work on a 2022 Lincoln Center production of The Skin of Our Teeth, is on board to direct.
"We can't think of a more fitting tribute than to honour Prince and the Purple Rain legacy with this stage adaptation of the beloved story," L. Londell McMillan, chairman of the NorthStar Group, and Larry Mestel, founder and CEO of Primary Wave Music, said in a statement to Variety. "We are thrilled with our Broadway partners and creative team, who are bringing a theatricality to the film's original fictional story. We can't wait for a new generation to discover Purple Rain and for lovers of the original film and album to experience its power once again, this time live."
The original Purple Rain film was Prince's breakout role, winning the icon an Oscar for its soundtrack and cementing his legacy. It centres around the Kid, an aspiring rocker cutting his teeth in the Minneapolis club scene while contending with a difficult home life, musical rivals and a blossoming romance.
More details about the new production are expected to be coming later this year.
