The 1984 drama film Purple Rain stars late pop legend Prince — who died in 2016 at the age of 57 — as a musician known as The Kid on the rise with his band, and now the Academy Award-winning film is being adapted for the stage.
“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,” Londell McMillan, chairman of The NorthStar Group, and Larry Mestel, founder and CEO of Primary Wave Music, told Variety.
The “Raspberry Beret” singer is seen in the film as a young man trying to escape the clutches of his abusive father by pursuing a music career.
The show will be based on the original screenplay by Albert Magnoli and William Blinn and will feature a book by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, and will be directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz.
“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,” Larry Mestel, founder and CEO of Primary Wave Music added.
Further details of the production will be announced at a later date.
The film — which won an Oscar for Best Original Song Score — is tied into Prince’s multimillion-selling album of the same name and as well as the title track features hits such as “Let’s Go Crazy” and “Baby I’m a Star.”
