Are you ready to go crazy and kiss in the purple rain like it’s 1999?
Ryan Coogler, the filmmaker behind Black Panther and Creed, is working on a film featuring Prince‘s music, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The jukebox musical — a musical featuring popular songs rather than original music — has reportedly been in development since 2018, two years after Prince’s death. The music icon (real name Prince Nelson) died on April 21, 2016, in his Minnesota home after an accidental drug overdose. He was 57.
Before his death, Prince was no stranger to the silver screen. His most famous film is 1984’s Purple Rain. The movie won an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score, and the soundtrack — featuring “Let’s Go Crazy,” “I Would Die 4 U,” and the title track — won the Grammy for Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture.
Prince’s subsequent dramatic films (1986’s Under the Cherry Moon, 1990’s Graffiti Bridge and 1994’s 3 Chains o’ Gold) didn’t match the cultural, critical or commercial success of Purple Rain. However, they’ve gone on to become cult classics, and they may likely play into this upcoming project.
Scroll on to find out what we know about Coogler’s Prince project.
What Is the Name of Ryan Coogler’s Prince Musical Film?
As of March 2024, Ryan Coogler’s Prince musical doesn’t yet have an official title.
Who Else Is Involved?
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Universal Pictures project hails from Proximity Media and has a script by Bryan Edward Hill. Coogler, his wife and creative partner, Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, and Universal Music Publishing Group chair Jody Gerson are set to produce the movie. Proximity Media’s Rebecca Cho will executive produce it.
Who Has Been Cast in Ryan Coogler’s Prince Musical Movie?
As of March 2024, no one has been attached to Coogler’s Prince jukebox movie.
When Will Ryan Coogler’s Prince Movie Arrive In Theatres?
The release date is unknown. However, 2025 may be a big year for the Black Panther director.
Days before the news of Coogler’s Prince musical made waves, THR reported that he was reuniting with Creed’s Michael B. Jordan for an untitled Warner Bros. feature, set for a March 2025 release date. It’s described as an “event film.” The outlet also noted that the WB film with has producers Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian onboard, along with Rebecca Cho and Will Greenfield. However, this “secret project,” that was at the center of a bidding war between studios, will reportedly have a script written by Coogler, so it’s separate from the Prince movie.
Isn’t There Already a Prince Musical in The Works?
Coogler is working on a jukebox musical, one that will likely pull tracks from Prince’s entire discography (hopefully including some of Us’ favorites, like “Kiss” from Parade, “Little Red Corvette” and “1999” from 1999, etc.) However, another Prince musical is being developed for the Great White Way.
In January 2024, producer Orin Wolf announced he was developing a stage version of Purple Rain. Wolf, who worked on the Tony Award-winning The Band’s Visit, is working with playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (Gloria, Everybody) to write the book for the new musical. Lileana Blain-Cruz is directing the project, and Playbill notes that it will have its world premiere run in Prince’s hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota, at the State Theatre.
The pre-Broadway run will be in Minneapolis and is expected to open in spring 2025. No official dates have been announced.
