Nearly 40 Years After the Release of “Purple Rain,” Prince’s Legacy Continues with Upcoming Biopic From “Black Panther” Director Ryan Coogler
The news broke recently that Ryan Coogler, director of the “Creed” and “Black Panther” movies, is gearing up to take on a new project – a jukebox biopic about the lamented, legendary musician and actor, Prince.
This summer will mark 40 years since Prince’s album-inspired, eponymously titled film “Purple Rain” first took the world by storm, which ultimately earned him an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score. With the release of the movie, Prince found success in the film industry and went on to star in and direct several other feature films including “Under the Cherry Moon” and “Graffiti Bridge,” the unofficial sequel to “Purple Rain.”
With a currently unscheduled release date, the anticipated Prince project has been in development limbo since it was first announced back in 2018, but thanks to Coogler’s newfound involvement, production is finally set to begin. As a proclaimed jukebox biopic, the film will feature a soundtrack presumably compiled exclusively from Prince’s discography, and will delve into the life and career trajectory of the world-renowned musician.
As of now it’s uncertain who will take on the role as The Artist Formerly Known as Prince in the forthcoming film, and it likely won’t come out until late 2025, sometime after Coogler wraps up his current ongoing project, an untitled movie collaboration with Michael B. Jordan that’s set to release on March 7th of next year.
This isn’t the only Prince-centered project announced recently either. In November, Deadline reported that Crazy Legs Features acquired the film rights to “The Most Beautiful: My Life with Prince,” the 2017 memoir written by Prince’s first wife, Mayte García. Also set for release is the Broadway musical rendition of the “Purple Rain” movie, which will premier in the star’s hometown of Minneapolis in the spring of next year, commemorating the late, great music icon with a fresh take on the artist’s most celebrated work.
Since both the Coogler-backed biopic and the García memoir-driven film are still in the early stages of development, it’s unclear when or if these films will grace theaters anytime soon. Though, in the meantime, you can celebrate the upcoming 40th anniversary of “Purple Rain” by watching the original movie, or by revisiting the iconic R&B/soul album that was its inspiration. Hopefully these prospective Prince projects live up to their expectations, and capture the unique essence of the artist’s sound and persona, leaving us all ‘laughing in the purple rain,’ just as Prince would have wanted.
