A jukebox musical based on the songs of Prince is coming from producer Ryan Coogler and Universal Pictures.
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…to tell you about this Prince jukebox musical headed our way. It has been announced that Ryan Coogler will be producing a new film for Universal that will rely heavily on the music of The Purple One.
No plot or cast details have been made public, but considering just how expansive Prince’s catalog is, no doubt there will be a wealth of tracks to choose from to help guide the film. Hopefully it can be a little more creative than having Darling Nikki driving a little red Corvette while wearing a raspberry beret as purple rain falls…
Considering how successful, controversial and eccentric Prince was, it’s a bit of a surprise that no proper biopic has been made. Then again, he has always been extremely protective of his image. But, really, who could capture the essence of Prince, let alone even try to play ping pong as well as him? As such, a jukebox musical does seem like the perfect way to go, with the music normally guiding us through a designated moment, like how Across the Universe used the Beatles to hit the tumultuous ‘60s or how Mamma Mia! used ABBA to figure out who Amanda Seyfried’s dad was. One of the big questions now is, When will this film take place and how will Prince’s music be the lead? Whatever ends up being the case, it’ll be brimming with however much sex appeal 5’2” can hold.
This Prince jukebox musical has actually been in the works for several years now, first coming to our attention in 2018. There, too, was a planned documentary on His Royal Badness from Ava DuVernay, but she left over “creative differences.” Prince died in 2016 at the age of 57 from an accidental fentanyl overdose.
Prince had his first gold record with 1979’s “I Wanna Be Your Lover”, hitting #1 five years later with back-to-back hits “When Doves Cry” and “Let’s Go Crazy”, solidifying himself as one of the most popular and best-selling artists ever. And who can forget the Batdance?!
Which Prince songs do you want to see featured in this jukebox musical? Give us your dream set list below!