AvocadosMax said:

I’m not here to complain or cry about what’s not happening—that’s not what this thread is about. If we as fans and the estate stay stuck in negativity towards each other and stay divided, we’ll never move forward. So, let’s flip the script and dream big. I’ve got a positive, ambitious idea that could take Prince’s legacy to the next level, and I’d love to hear your thoughts! My pitch: the estate should create a concert film based on the Piano & A Microphone tour and release it in all theaters worldwide. Yes, it’s massive. Yes, it’s risky. But that’s exactly why it could be the estate’s answer to a “biopic-level” project—without the need for actors or scripted drama. This would let Prince’s own artistry shine on the big screen for fans and new audiences alike. Why Piano & A Microphone? This tour was Prince at his rawest—just him, a piano, and a microphone. It’s intimate, powerful, and shows off his genius as a musician and storyteller. That stripped-down vibe would feel incredible in a theater, with pristine sound and visuals pulling you right into the moment. It’s perfect for diehard fans and a fresh way to introduce casual or younger audiences to Prince’s magic. The Vision: How It Could Work Picture this: you walk into a theater, the lights dim, and Prince fills the screen. Here’s how the estate could pull it off: • Test Screenings: Start small with screenings at music festivals, film festivals, or even surprise showings where the audience doesn’t know what’s coming. Build buzz and tweak based on feedback. • Creative Team: Bring in people who knew Prince—Kirk Johnson, Morris Day, Josh Welton, even fans who met him and gotten to know him—to guide the project. They’d keep it true to his creative vision and ensure it respects his legacy. Maybe a talented director who is passionate could be picked to lead the film, while they agree to be guided by the people who knew him. • Format Options: It could be a compilation of highlights from the whole 2016 tour, showing how it evolved, or a single standout show for a pure, immersive experience. Both could work—I lean toward focusing on one show to keep it simple and strong. The Risk (and Why It’s Worth It) Let’s be real: the marketplace is crowded, and younger generations might not know Prince as well as we do. That’s the risk. But with the right marketing—like TikTok campaigns, viral teasers, and content that hooks Gen Z—this could be huge. Treat it like a biopic in terms of promotion. Look at Bohemian Rhapsody or the upcoming MJ film—music-driven projects have a massive audience waiting. Prince deserves that spotlight, and this is a way to make it happen. Optional Twist: Flashbacks If the estate wants to mix it up, they could weave in flashbacks to earlier concerts—like with the NPG—to show Prince’s evolution. His own words from the Piano & A Microphone shows could tie it all together as a narrative. That said, I think keeping it focused on Piano & A Microphone alone might be the purest, most powerful approach. Why This Matters? Prince was one of a kind, and his legacy deserves something unique—not just another biopic with actors trying to fill his shoes. A concert film lets his music, his presence, speak for itself. It’s a chance to bring him to new generations while giving us longtime fans something epic to celebrate. What do you think? Could a Piano & A Microphone concert film be the estate’s next big move? Let’s talk about it! Peace to all Purple Politicians!

This is a great strategy and the perfect project to introduce a new generation of music buyers to Prince's back catalog of music, since the music is stripped down, they'll see and hear Prince's incredible singing and musicianship and will want to look up his records through streaming or physical copies. It can go a long way towards putting the disastrous Netflix documentary in the rearview window. And lastly, it will provide a framework for Prince's headspace in the last months of his life.

great idea

bashraka said:

Rough estimated price for your idea :

1,8 million $, with no plan for profit.

Forget it.

Vannormal said:

I love this idea and would really love to see something like this get made. The only fly in the ointment that I can think of is that a lot of the footage from these shows were shot under low light with very little gradient.

my memory of it is that the two gala Paisley Park shows were shot professionally with multiple camera angles, but I have no idea in what format or in what resolution.

As far as any other shows on the tour are concerned, I would be very surprised if they were filmed in more than two angles for the house feed using modest quality video cameras (if, at all)

These days even though you can do a remarkable amount to up-res the quality of low quality sources, you can still not work the kind of miracle that would allow these sources to look awesome, especially if it was shot under low light with sometimes uncertain focus.

Of course these are merely assumptions by me. Perhaps Prince managed to have these shows shot in better quality than I have described here, but I saw no evidence of this at any of the Piano and microphone shows I saw in Australia.

andrewm7new said:

AvocadosMax said:

andrewm7new said:

I love this idea and would really love to see something like this get made. The only fly in the ointment that I can think of is that a lot of the footage from these shows were shot under low light with very little gradient.

my memory of it is that the two gala Paisley Park shows were shot professionally with multiple camera angles, but I have no idea in what format or in what resolution.

As far as any other shows on the tour are concerned, I would be very surprised if they were filmed in more than two angles for the house feed using modest quality video cameras (if, at all)

These days even though you can do a remarkable amount to up-res the quality of low quality sources, you can still not work the kind of miracle that would allow these sources to look awesome, especially if it was shot under low light with sometimes uncertain focus.

Of course these are merely assumptions by me. Perhaps Prince managed to have these shows shot in better quality than I have described here, but I saw no evidence of this at any of the Piano and microphone shows I saw in Australia.

Thats a good point if true. I’m not sure as well. Hopefully they were shot pretty well with multiple angles. Some of the leaks of phone recordings of the big screens indicate that … but of course idk… in that case maybe they would have to make it a compilation. It could start out with the Paisley Park gala event then of course end with the Atlanta show.. idk it depends on what options they have. I hope a good amount was filmed professionally If they weren’t filmed with more than two or three angles, maybe they can send a team out to these venues and make some cool shots of how the stage might have looked before the show maybe… idk they would need to be creative here. Or maybe the simplest, minimal approach would be fine considering the minimal stripped-down style the shows had anyways. Idk but I still believe

.

Or just release the 2 Paisley shows on a BluRay and perhaps to movies as well, and all the other shows on CD. No compilations, please, but complete shows. It would make a brilliant box set.

AvocadosMax said:

Imagine a kid making a TikTok using the audio from the Little Red Corvette/Dirty Mind performance at Sydney for instance I can see TikTok trends using audio from plenty of funny moments or moments where he was talking about something deep… his commentary on relationships for example can easily resonate with people

Your missing something here.

Almost all common kids only are interested in music made by people of their age.

Prince's music sounds old to most, boring some even say. I see and hear that from young kids (around 15 yo) here (in my family) that hear Prince music in my car for instance.

Those young kids who are interested in music and arts, or get it from their parents 'might' have some interest in an old peoples music, or an old guy like Prince.

Prince has become a niche artist for older people like us.

People of my age say; "yeah, the guy from "Purple Rain" song. That's about it.

Zappa will dissapear, Bowie too, and Prince for certain, even faster.

It doesn't appeal all that much to youngsters in general - imho of course, from what I see and experience. And this is Europe.

Kares said:

Vannormal said:

AvocadosMax said:

Kares said:

.

Or just release the 2 Paisley shows on a BluRay and perhaps to movies as well, and all the other shows on CD. No compilations, please, but complete shows. It would make a brilliant box set.

Oh i hear you loud and clear. Believe me! I only suggested that because the idea of hearing/seeing a large stadium erupting into the Free Urself chant is mind blowing and would be special for the new audience. It was certainly special for the audience who saw it live Maybe do the complete Paisley Park shows as is and play the Free Urself performance during the credits. I would like to attend multiple viewings of that to see how much of the audience stays behind until the credits wrap up. That would be something. A dream scenario would be a theatrical cut and a boxset of all the video of the shows throughout the tour plus the audio from all shows. I would see the film in theaters multiple times and pay for the boxset. (Vinyl and CD and blursy) Take my money If they’re considering the production costs for such a boxset, sell a limited run and then offer at least some of the video shows on streaming plus the audio

Agree with you both, I would also love to see/hear the Dolphin/Heroes medley. That makes me tear up every time.

I was so impressed when Prince had everyone one singing the Free Yourself chant at the Opera House

[Edited 4/7/25 13:25pm]

[Edited 4/7/25 13:26pm]

AvocadosMax said:

Vannormal said:

Your missing something here.

Almost all common kids only are interested in music made by people of their age.

Prince's music sounds old to most, boring some even say. I see and hear that from young kids (around 15 yo) here (in my family) that hear Prince music in my car for instance.

Those young kids who are interested in music and arts, or get it from their parents 'might' have some interest in an old peoples music, or an old guy like Prince.

Prince has become a niche artist for older people like us.

People of my age say; "yeah, the guy from "Purple Rain" song. That's about it.

Zappa will dissapear, Bowie too, and Prince for certain, even faster.

It doesn't appeal all that much to youngsters in general - imho of course, from what I see and experience. And this is Europe.

You callin me old? I’m just a baby No but seriously, there are many young kids (15 —29) who are deep into music and playing instruments, etcwho will see just a one artist on a stage with a piano & mic and they will be inspired by that… just his aura will mesmerize them. A couple clips go viral and are used as general sound trends on TikTok will pull the right people in, bringing in a new audience. A summer blockbuster response to this (such as the online Barbie-Oppenheimer trend) might be pushing it but i don’t think it’s far fetched to say this could potentially receive moderate to high success with smart marketing And thats your kids, not every kid

You sound like an optimistic answer from US drenched chatgpt model.

And I don't mena anything negative with that.

I love your optimism.

I wish it was all true.

That 2025 would be more than just Pruple Rain 2.0 at the Celebration (alone probably).

Vannormal said:

Beware chatgpt, it works particularly numbingly in copying text. And in fact, it doesn't give you any kind of authenticity.
And it encourages laziness in all areas.
It keeps you from thinking too slowly and more thoughtfully.

Vannormal said:

I share your enthusiasm for this project. These shows were so personal and raw and really deserve to be a bigger part of Prince’s official legacy. I was so fortunate to have seen the shows I did from this tour, but there were only a handful of gigs in the US and Canada and Europe never had this tour at all!

There is a huge market out there for among Prince fans for a movie that would bring them closer to these unique shows, and you are right that new/younger fans will really respond to the sheer solo virtuosity of these performances.