Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ To Become Broadway Musical

Purple Rain is heading to Broadway for a stage adaptation. 

The movie, which stars the pop superstar Prince, will be adapted to the theater by a book by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins while Lileana Blain-Cruz will direct the show. Other details about the show will be announced in the coming months.

Purple Rain starred Prince as the Kid, an up-and-coming musician based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, who juggles a difficult family life, competing against a rival band and finding romance. The movie was a huge hit, grossing $100 million worldwide, and the soundtrack to the film has sold over 25 million copies. Purple Rain also won the Academy Award for Best Score, which went to Prince.

L. Londell McMillan, chairman of The NorthStar Group, and Larry Mestel, founder and CEO of Primary Wave Music, commented on the news.

“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,” they said in a statement. “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.”

Since Prince died in 2016, numerous honors have been given to the Minnesota-based musician. A new highway sign memorializes Prince on the road that was near his home and recording studio. Pantone even created a signature Prince purple.