Prince “Purple Rain” (December 18, 1983) – Filming Wrap Approaching

Prince and his cast and crew have finished shooting the concert scenes last week at First Avenue. The filming is expected to wrap up this week at a studio in Eden Prairie.

Publication: Minneapolis Star and Tribune

Date: Sunday, December 18, 1983 Country: United States Section: Entertainment / Brief news item

THE STORY

A concise update reporting that the major concert sequences at the iconic First Avenue club have been completed, with principal photography scheduled to conclude shortly at a studio location in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

CONTEXT AND NOTES

This marks the final stage of on-location and interior filming for Purple Rain. The concert scenes at First Avenue were central to the film’s energy and became some of its most memorable moments. Eden Prairie was used for interior studio work. By mid-December 1983, the intense six-to-seven-week shoot was nearing its end, right on schedule for a 1984 release.

FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS Event: Near-completion of Purple Rain principal photography

Key Locations: First Avenue (concert scenes completed), Eden Prairie studio (final wrap)

Era: Late Purple Rain production (1983) Tone: Straightforward progress report Photography: None in this clipping

WHAT THE CLIPPING SHOWS

• Confirmation that the high-profile First Avenue filming had wrapped the week prior (around December 11–17)

• The production was in its final days, expected to finish by the end of December 1983

• Local media continued tracking the hometown film project closely

  
  

RELATED MATERIAL

This follows the November 23 costuming article, the November 21 start-of-filming column, the November 13 on-location report, and the November 6 pre-production announcement — completing the arc from pre-production to wrap in this local coverage series.

For other relevant posts, see the tags at the foot of the page.

All magazine scans, photographs and original text excerpts remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This entry is a transformative, non-commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference.