- Prince’s estate has blocked a long-awaited Netflix documentary about the late music icon, sparking controversy over creative control and how his legacy will be told. This decision allows the estate to produce a new documentary with exclusive content from Prince’s archive.
- The estate likely rejected the Netflix documentary due to what it called “dramatic factual inaccuracies.”
- The original agreement called for a six-hour series, but the estate rejected the nine-hour version that was delivered by director Ezra Edelman.
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Prince’s estate has blocked a long-awaited Netflix documentary about the late music icon. The decision has sparked controversy over creative control and how his legacy will be told.
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A documentary about Prince was first announced in 2018. According to Variety, the estate initially gave the project its full cooperation.
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However, in a statement posted Thursday, Feb. 6, on Prince’s official social media accounts, the estate revealed it had reached a “mutual agreement” with Netflix.
The statement reads: “The Prince Estate and Netflix have come to a mutual agreement that will allow the estate to develop and produce a new documentary featuring exclusive content from Prince’s archive. As a result, the Netflix documentary will not be released.”
Around the same time, the estate shared a video with the caption, “The Vault has been freed.” That refers to Prince’s personal archive of unreleased music, footage and writings, which the film director had access to.
With the Netflix documentary scrapped, the estate now has control over a new project.
Why the estate likely rejected the Netflix documentary
In the summer of 2023, sources close to the film told Variety that Prince’s estate did not approve of the first cut. The estate claimed the documentary contained “dramatic factual inaccuracies” and sensationalized certain events.
A New York Times report stated that the film featured ex-girlfriends of the singer, alleging physical and emotional abuse. These claims reportedly contributed to the estate’s decision to withhold support.
Ezra Edelman’s fallout with the estate
The documentary was directed by Ezra Edelman, best known for the Oscar-winning “OJ: Made in America.”
The original agreement called for a six-hour series, but Variety reported that Edelman delivered a nine-hour version instead. The estate rejected the extended cut and withheld music rights, effectively shutting down the project.
Prince estate member and music producer Charles Spicer criticized Edelman’s work in an October 2023 post on X.
“Just because you win an Oscar for one subject doesn’t mean you can translate that same on another. It’s TRASH.”
This Right Here👆🏾@JamesJdcxc is on it! Just because you win an Oscar for one subject doesn’t mean you can translate that same on another. It’s 🗑️
— Charles F. Spicer Jr (@CharlesFSpicer) October 12, 2024
His post suggested the estate felt Edelman was not the right fit for telling Prince’s story.
Prince’s estate struggles since his passing
Prince died in 2016 from an accidental drug overdose without a will. His estate faced years of legal battles, including disputes over its value and who would control his music rights.
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Other artists have faced similar estate struggles. Aretha Franklin’s family spent five years in court before a judge ruled that a handwritten will found inside a couch cushion was valid. Whitney Houston also had an outdated will that left everything to her daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown. However, it did not account for her daughter’s death just three years later.
With the Netflix documentary canceled, Prince’s estate now holds full control over his narrative. Fans will have to wait and see how his story will be told — and by whom.
[KENNEDY FELTON]
PRINCE WAS KNOWN FOR BEING FIERCELY PROTECTIVE OF HIS MUSIC AND IMAGE – BUT EVEN AFTER HIS DEATH, HIS ESTATE IS MAKING SURE HIS LEGACY STAYS ON *THEIR TERMS.
HIS ESTATE HAS BLOCKED A NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE MUSIC ICON FROM BEING RELEASED.
A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE SINGER WAS FIRST ANNOUNCED IN 20-18 WHICH WAS SET TO BE DIRECTED BY AVA DUVERNAY… AND ACCORDING TO VARIETY ORIGINALLY HAD THE FULL COOPERATION OF THE ESTATE.
IT WAS LATER ANNOUNCED THAT OSCAR WINNING DIRECTOR EZRA EDELMAN – BEST KNOWN FOR HIS “OJ MADE IN AMERICA” DOCUMENTARY – WOULD TAKE OVER.
BUT IN A STATEMENT POSTED TO PRINCE’S SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS THURSDAY.. THEY SAID –
“The Prince Estate and Netflix have come to a mutual agreement that will allow the estate to develop and produce a new documentary featuring exclusive content from Prince’s archive. As a result, the Netflix documentary will not be released.”
A VIDEO WAS ALSO POSTED AROUND THE SAME TIME WITH THE CAPTION – “THE VAULT HAS BEEN FREED.”
THE VAULT IS THE NAME FOR PRINCE’S ARCHIVE – WHICH EDELMAN HAD FULL ACCESS TO.
WITH THE NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY FALLING THROUGH – THE ESTATE NOW HAS FULL CONTROL TO PRODUCE A *NEW PROJECT.
LAST SUMMER – SOURCES CLOSE TO THE PROJECT TOLD VARIETY PRINCE’S ESTATE DIDN’T LIKE THE FIRST CUT OF THE DOCUMENTARY… CLAIMING IT CONTAINED DRAMATIC FACTUAL INACCURACIES AND SENSATIONALIZED RENDERINGS OF CERTAIN EVENTS.
WHILE ALL DETAILS OF THE DOCUMENTARY ARE UNCLEAR – A NEW YORK TIMES REPORT FROM SHORTLY AFTER REVEALED IT INCLUDED INTERVIEWS WITH EX GIRLFRIENDS WHO ACCUSED PRINCE OF PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL ABUSE.
AFTER LEARNING OF THE DISAGREEMENT FROM HIS ESTATE… PUCK NEWS REPORTED EDELMAN WAS DEVASTATED BY THE SITUATION… AS HE HAD BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR FOUR YEARS.
VARIETY REPORTS THE DOCUMENTARY WAS ORIGINALLY PLANNED AS A SIX HOUR SERIES… BUT EDELMAN DELIVERED A NINE HOUR CUT VIOLATING THE AGREEMENT.
MUSIC PRODUCER CHARLES SPICER – A MEMBER OF THE PRINCE ESTATE – POSTED ON X LAST OCTOBER – “Just because you win an Oscar for one subject doesn’t mean you can translate that same on another. It’s TRASH” – REFERRING TO EDELMAN.
PRINCE PASSED AWAY IN 20-16 FROM AN ACCIDENTAL DRUG OVERDOSE WITHOUT A WILL… LEAVING HIS ESTATE IN LEGAL LIMBO FOR YEARS – INCLUDING CONTROL OVER HIS MUSIC.
SIMILAR ISSUES AROSE WITH THE ESTATE OF SINGER ARETHA FRANKLIN WHO PASSED IN 20-18.
AFTER A FIVE YEAR LEGAL DISPUTE – A JUDGE RULED HER HANDWRITTEN WILL FOUND BETWEEN COUCH CUSHIONS WAS VALID… ALLOWING HER ESTATE TO BE SPLIT BETWEEN HER FIVE SONS.
WHITNEY HOUSTON ALSO LEFT BEHIND A TROUBLED ESTATE DUE TO AN OUTDATED WILL. IT LEFT EVERYTHING TO HER DAUGHTER BOBBI KRISTINA BROWN – BUT DIDNT ACCOUNT FOR WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF SHE PASSED – WHICH SHE DID JUST THREE YEARS AFTER HER MOTHER.
WITH PRINCE’S ESTATE NOW CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE OF HIS DOCUMENTARY… IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN HOW HIS STORY WILL ULTIMATELY BE TOLD – AND WHO WILL GET TO TELL IT.
WITH SAN IM KF
Media Landscape
This story is a Media Miss by the right as only 14% of the coverage is from right leaning media. Learn more
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Center 14%
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