Whether you love listening to the sweet, rocking guitar solo of Prince on Purple Rain or are a fan of the epic 1984 film, Dolby and Warner Bros. Discovery offer a downpour of good news.
The film Purple Rain will be re-released with better visuals and audio for a one-night-only event at Dolby Cinemas across the United States and the United Kingdom. On March 5, 2025, Purple will take center stage at select AMC theaters in the US or Odeon theaters in the UK with tickets on sale now. Suffice it to say there will be demand.
The film shown on March 5th at Dolby Cinema theaters will be up to the Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos standards, which did require some heavy lifting on Dolby’s part. For starters, the film was completely digitally restored by running an 8K scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative, and then that footage was color-graded for Dolby Vision.
On the audio side, Dolby restored the original stereo tracks at the same time as remixing the 20th anniversary 5.1 multi-channel mix – both from the original master files. The end result is promised to be “a faithfully remastered Dolby Atmos” experience.
Dolby also promises that the film will remain epic rock musical drama but that the restoration process is delivering much-improved visuals – likely with a higher peak brightness and wider contrast range – along with much improved audio quality. I wouldn’t mind hearing the roaring solos during the title track of When Doves Cry, assuming it’s a well-outfitted Dolby Cinema location.
Jed Harmsen, Head of Cinema and Group Entertainment at Dolby calls the re-release a “celebration of Prince’s genius and enduring legacy” and explains that “Devoted and new fans alike prepare to be exhilarated by an unforgettable and unparalleled performance from one of music’s greatest of all time.”
Purple Rain represents Prince’s acting debut, but the rockstar also produced the entire soundtrack, including original tracks. The film itself won a Best Original Song Score Oscar at the Academy Awards and the Grammy for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special.
If you’re sold and ready to experience the Purple Rain on March 5, tickets are up for presale now at Dolby Cinemas in the United States from AMC and Odeon theaters in the United Kingdom.