Ryan Coogler is in a purple state of mind, as the filmmaker is working on a Prince-focused feature musical.
Coogler is attached to produce an untitled jukebox musical of Prince songs for Universal Pictures, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. The project, which has been in development since 2018, hails from Proximity Media and has a script by Bryan Edward Hill.
Producers include Coogler, Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian, alongside Atom Factory’s Troy Carter and Universal Music Publishing Group chair Jody Gerson. Proximity’s Rebecca Cho is an executive producer.
THR reported earlier this week that Coogler’s forthcoming untitled Warner Bros. feature that stars Michael B. Jordan is set for release on March 7, 2025, with the studio having landed the coveted project in February after a bidding war. The pair have a long professional history together, as Coogler has previously directed Jordan in Fruitvale Station (2013), Creed (2015) and Black Panther (2018).
More recently, Coogler directed the 2022 Marvel sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. He is credited with working on the lyrics to Rihanna’s song “Lift Me Up” from the film’s soundtrack, with the track earning him Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy nominations.
Prince is a music icon known for an array of hits, including “When Doves Cry,” “Let’s Go Crazy,” “Kiss” and “Batdance,” which all peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. His film credits include starring in Albert Magnoli’s 1984 rock musical Purple Rain, with the Warner Bros. cult classic — which picked up the Oscar for best original song score — hitting its 40th anniversary this July.
Coogler’s involvement in the Prince project was first reported by newsletter The InSneider.
