Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ To Become A Stage Play

Dearly beloved. We are gathered here today. To announce that Prince's Oscar-winning "Purple Rain" musical is coming to a stage near you!

Dearly beloved. We are gathered here today. To announce that Prince’s Oscar-winning Purple Rain musical is coming to a stage near you!

Just in time for the 40th anniversary, it’s been announced that Prince’s iconic film and soundtrack album “Purple Rain” is being adapted into a stage play that might even make its way to Broadway, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The adaptation is in development, while the world premiere remains in the works.

The upcoming play will feature a score by Prince and a book by Pulitzer Prize finalist Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. Lileana Blain-Cruz will direct it. The book is based on the original screenplay of Purple Rain, written by Albert Magnoli and William Blinn.

The announcement comes ahead of the “Purple Rain” film’s 40th anniversary on July 27. Originally released in 1984 by Warner Bros., the musical followed The Kid (Prince), an emerging rock musician in Prince’s native Minneapolis who remains focused on his music career despite the difficult environment he endures at home with his parents. His drive aids him as he performs against a rival band (Morris Day and The Time) and forms a new romance with the film’s leading lady (Apollonia).

The 1984 film scored major success at the box office, grossing $70.3 million worldwide, against its $7.2 million budget. The film won an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score and Best Original Musical and is regarded as one of the greatest musical films ever.

The album of the same name was released as the soundtrack to the film and sold over 25 million units worldwide with classic hits like “Purple Rain,” “When Doves Cry,” “Let’s Go Crazy,” and “I Would Die 4 U.”

“It’s been almost 40 years since Prince’s legendary film, Purple Rain, took the world by storm,m and we can’t think of a more fitting tribute than to honor 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.

“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.”