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We can’t say we foresaw these two being linked, but here we are. Multiple outlets report that Wakanda Forever director Ryan Coogler will produce a jukebox musical on Prince. Though the term generally refers to stage productions, this project will be a movie.
The InSneider newsletter was the first to report Coogler’s involvement. The movie has been in the works since 2018 from Proximity Media with Bryan Edward Hill penning the script. The St. Louis native has written for Marvel and DC Comics and was most recently an executive story editor on the Max show, Titans. Universal Pictures is the studio backing the musical.
The untitled project is expected to feature Prince’s greatest hits. The Minneapolis genius died in 2016 of an accidental heroin overdose at his Paisley Park recording complex. He was 57.
In his lifetime, he released 39 studio albums, won seven Grammy Awards and was considered among the most prolific artists of his era. He was a pioneer in providing fans access to music and other perks via the internet and fought for artists’ rights, including ownership of their master recordings. He famously feuded with his label, Warner Bros. Records, because he wanted to put out more music than they wanted him to.
Earlier this year, the Prince Estate announced a stage musical version of Prince’s 1984 movie, Purple Rain. It will debut at the Hennepin Theatre Trust’s State Theatre in the spring of 2025 before it goes to Broadway. No cast announcements have been made yet for either project.
Coogler’s next directorial project is expected to be a new film with Michael B. Jordan. The untitled project won a bidding war at Warner Bros. and is scheduled for release in March 2025. That’s all that has been publicly shared though it’s been described as an “event” movie.
Coogler and Jordan have collaborated on Fruitvale Station, two Black Panther films and two of the three Creed films.
