Universal acquires the rights to Prince’s music for a song-inspired film

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

It's storytime, kids! When I was just three-years-old, my father took my family to see director Albert Magnoli's PURPLE RAIN at the Rocky Point Drive-In. Before taking our place in the queue to get inside the outdoor theater grounds, my sister and I hid beneath a thick blanket in what we called the "back-back" of our Rhythmic Blue Pontiac Station Wagon. That's how we rolled, back in 1984 … when you could get away with that sort of thing. I don't recall much of the film, of course, but I do still remember the movie's wicked soundtrack, the High Priest of Pop's bar room breakdown, and a motorcycle that would leave Marvel's Ghost Rider drooling with envy. Later, my Mom would inform me that my love of The Purple One began that very evening.

With that said, I'm sure you'll understand why I'm stoked to report that Universal Pictures has picked up the rights to several of Prince's classic songs, which will serve as the anchor for an upcoming music-based film narrative.

Ready to party like it's 1999 as the executive producers of the project are Atom Factory’s Troy Carter, the entertainment advisor of Prince’s estate, and Jody Gerson, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group, the exclusive worldwide publishing administrator for Prince’s musical library. Additionally, Sara Scott and Mika Pryce will oversee the feature's development for Universal.

The studio's newly-announced Prince feature comes not long after A WRINKLE IN TIME director Ava DuVernay announced her plans to helm a documentary focusing on His Royal Badness for Netflix. Another project revolving around the Lord of the Bat-Dance is QUEEN FOR A DAY, a feature film from Paramount Players starring and produced by THE HUNGER GAMES actress Elizabeth Banks. The aforementioned project is based on a story featured in The Daily Beast written by Chris Lee titled When Prince Made a Chambermaid His Queen for a Day.

What do you think this new Prince-inspired project will be like? Could it be something akin to director Julie Taymor's ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, which had been inspired by the music of The Beatles? Or, will the Prince of Funk's infectious rhythms and over-powering sexual energy inspire the studio to create something entirely new? We'll have to wait for more details to find out. Until then, we can all imagine ourselves in a little red corvette, wearing a raspberry beret, getting off to the timeless tunes of a true partyman.