Prince’s PURPLE RAIN to receive world premiere stage adaptation

A new stage adaptation of Prince’s legendary film and album, Purple Rain, is in development, it has been announced.

Based on the original screenplay by Albert Magnoli and William Blinn, this stage adaptation will feature a book by two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, music and lyrics by Prince, and direction by Tony Award-nominee Lileana Blain-Cruz. Additional production details and timing will be announced in the coming months.

Chairman of The NorthStar Group, L Londell McMillan, and Founder & CEO of Primary Wave Music, Larry Mestel, said: “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,” said “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.”

Purple Rain tells the fictional story of The Kid, an up-and-coming rock musician in the Minneapolis club scene, as he contends with a tumultuous home environment, a rival band, and a budding romance. Released in July 1984 by Warner Bros, the film was originated by Prince, directed by Albert Magnoli and written by Magnoli and William Blinn. It was Prince’s film debut.

Purple Rain is a cultural phenomenon, widely regarded as one of the greatest musical films ever made, grossing close to $100 million worldwide and winning the Academy Award for Best Original Score. In 2019, the Library of Congress added the film to the National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

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