We have good news, and potentially bad news. First, the good news because it’s Monday and it’s best to ease into such matters. A new report says that Universal Pictures is going to make a new film based on the music of now-deceased music legend, Prince. But the bad news is that it’s not exactly the type of film you’re hoping it might be.
Variety is reporting that Universal has gone ahead and purchased the rights to a number of songs written by Prince. But here’s where things get tricky and might just turn off a variety of film fans — the film isn’t going to be a biopic…and it’s not going to be a “Purple Rain”-esque Prince film. Nope, it appears that Universal is taking a page out of the “Mamma Mia!” handbook and is constructing an original film musical inspired by the music of Prince. That’s right, Prince is now on the same level as Abba.
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Why would Universal forgo the idea of doing a musical biopic, a la the recent “Bohemian Rhapsody?” Apparently, the studio is concerned that most of that gold was mined in the aforementioned semi-autobiographical “Purple Rain.” So, apparently, the line in the sand that studios won’t cross when remaking, rehashing, or reviving is with “Purple Rain.” Go figure.
It sounds like the takeaway from films like “Mamma Mia!” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” isn’t the storyline, or the source material. Instead, it’s the idea that people will pay hard-earned money to watch famous people lip-sync or attempt to sing (whether doing so well or not) popular songs. And if you’re looking for a library of hit songs that spans generations, Prince isn’t a bad artist to focus on.
No word on who will be the creative team behind-the-scenes, as Universal has mainly attached film and music execs as producers. And as has been shown from previous versions of film musicals, as with any film, the quality of those attached to the project goes a long way to the success of the end result. So, let’s just hope that some strong talent comes aboard to steer this ship. Let’s not ruin one of the greatest musical catalogs with a poor imitation of “Mamma Mia.”