FEATURE:
Nothing Compares 2 U
PHOTO CREDIT: Jeff Katz Photography/©Paisley Park Enterprises, Inc.
Will We See a Prince Biopic or Musical Film?
_________
BECAUSE Prince…
PHOTO CREDIT: Jeff Katz Photography/©Paisley Park Enterprises, Inc.
would have been sixty-five on 7th June, I am thinking about projects and things related to his music and legacy that have not been released yet. Also, on 21st April, it will be seven years since he died. A huge shock, there has been plenty of unreleased music from the icon’s vault and estate. So many artists have had a biopic made about them, but there has not been one that charts Prince’s career and his influence. Maybe a biopic that focuses on a particular period, or one that charts his pre-fame career and goes through to 2016 (when he died). His friend and former bandmate Sheila E announced a film that would look at her relationship with Prince. This feature was from 2021:
“Legendary drummer Sheila E has announced a new biopic set to detail the “beautiful story” of her relationship with Prince.
Sheila took to Facebook to reveal the name of the upcoming film, as well as hint at its imminent release date.
“Coming soon…Sheila E. to release Girl Meets Boy, a film telling the beautiful story of her time with Prince. Stay Tuned,” she wrote.
Sheila and Prince met back in the late 1970s and first collaborated years later during the recording sessions for Purple Rain.
From there, Sheila and her band went on to support Prince during the ‘Purple Rain’ tour, during which the pair developed a short-lived romantic relationship.
In 1987, she appeared in his Sign “O” The Times film, and she continued to intermittently join him on stage until his passing in 2016.
Last year, Sheila released a song dedicated to Prince on the fourth anniversary of his death called ‘Lemon Cake’.
Sheila also told The Guardian that they had worked on hundreds of unreleased songs.
“Since I met him, we started jamming and never stopped until a couple of years before he passed,” she said.
“There was so much music. There were years and years and years of being in the studio with him all the time.”
“He was inspired by the people he hung around and that’s what was so cool, he didn’t hang around the same type of people all the time… the point of growing as an artist and as a person is opening yourself up to other things”.
I am not sure when that film is coming. I know there have been documentaries about Prince and films relating to his life, but there has not been an awful lot! Considering his influence and staggering career, you’d think more would be out. Prince broke boundaries and appeared in films. He is someone who will live forever as this genius and pioneer. Maybe there is a sense of intimidation and trepidation approaching a biopic. I don’t think the Prince estate have refused to green-light any biopic. Perhaps it is about waiting for the right idea to come along. It can be hard to make a biopic work and get the balance right. I do think that, with the cooperation and guidance from Sheila E, the estate, and those close to Prince, there could be this incredible and authoritative biopic. The reason why I want to see it happen is to bring those amazing songs to life. I am not sure who would play Prince, but when you think about all he went through and how important his career was, it seems a waste that this story has not been brought to a biopic. Maybe a fear of the script not being right or it somehow watering down his legacy could be a concern. As he turns sixty-five in June, there will be many fans looking back at those classic albums and timeless Prince moments. I know that there is a lot of demand for a Prince biopic, but it is important not to rush or do it for the wrong reasons.
If there is not a biopic coming soon, I think something relating to Prince would be good. A documentary series about his album or how he influenced different communities. Another thing that occurred is a Prince musical film. One that does not need to be a biopic, it would use Prince songs around a storyline. Maybe connected stories from those in the Black community, the common thread and connection would be Prince. It could bring together elements of classics like West Side Story, Moonlight and Waiting to Exhale (quite a broad church, I know), something set in Los Angeles either present day or during the '90s would have a series of stories or be a single narrative that uses Prince’s songs to soundtrack moments throughout. If artists like David Bowie have had biopics, dazzling documentaries, and films made about them, there are certain artists that have not. Madonna is an example. Her planned biopic was scrapped recently, as she felt the script was wrong. In terms of new documentaries, we have not seen anything. Prince is undeniably one of the most influential musicians ever. Exploring that through film, whether a biopic or musical/music-led film, would help introduce him to a new generation. It is also a tribute to someone whose remarkable music, words and example will continue to compel and inspire. I hope that the Sheila E film idea arrives soon, as there is a notable glut of Prince films! It would be awesome to see a small screen documentary series, but the diminutive genius deserves his music and life to be up there…
ON the big screen.