The iconic film Purple Rain starring the late Prince is set to be turned into a stage musical. On Monday (January 8), theatre producer Orin Wolf confirmed the 1984 rock musical film is being adapted for the Broadway stage. The project will be helmed by Lileana Blain-Cruz, who recently directed the acclaimed show, The Skin of Our Teeth.
“It’s been almost 40 years since Prince’s legendary film, Purple Rain, took the world by storm 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 chief executive of Primary Wave Music, said in a joint statement.
The musical will follow the story of an up-and-coming rock musician in the Minneapolis club scene. It’s set to feature a number of classic Prince tracks, including “When Doves Cry,” “Let’s Go Crazy” and “I Would Die 4 U” as well as the titular song, “Purple Rain.”
The music icon’s film won an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score and made around $70 million at the box office when it was first released. Prince, real name Prince Rogers Nelson, died of an accidental fentanyl overdose in 2016. He was 57.
Representatives of the rightsholders to his music have confirmed they are supportive of the production.