Dolby and Warner Bros. Discovery have announced a one-night-only theatrical re-release of Prince’s iconic film Purple Rain on March 5.
According to the press release, the film has been digitally restored from an 8K scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative, and the film’s audio was also restored from the original Dolby Stereo tracks from over 40 years ago, in conjunction with the 20th anniversary’s 5.1 multi-channel mix master.
“’Purple Rain reimagined in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for Dolby Cinema is a celebration of Prince’s genius and enduring legacy,” Jed Harmsen, Head of Cinema and Group Entertainment at Dolby, said in an official statement. “Devoted and new fans alike prepare to be exhilarated by an unforgettable and unparalleled performance from one of music’s greatest of all time.”
In Purple Rain, Prince stars as “The Kid” an aspiring musician along with his band The Revolution, who is competing with a rival performer played by Morris Day. Escaping a tumultuous home life through music, “The Kid” is trying to avoid making the same mistakes as his abusive father (Clarence Williams III), as he falls for a captivating singer, Apollonia (Apollonia Kotero).
In addition to starring in the film which was directed by Albert Magnolia, Prince composed and produced the score and original songs which included classics such as “Let’s Go Crazy”, and “When Doves Cry.” “I Will Die 4U”, “Baby I’m a Star”, and more.
“Purple Rain” won the Academy Award for Best Original Song Score and the Grammy Award for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special. The film was re-released in AMC Theatres after Prince died in 2016.
An instant classic, the soundtrack spent 24 consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard album chart and has sold over 25 million copies worldwide.
Purple Rain will be screened at all Dolby Cinema at AMC Theatres locations throughout the U.S. and Dolby Cinema at Odeon locations in the U.K.
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