The Prince Documentary Is Now “Dead”

A six-part documentary series about the life of Prince has been described as “dead in the water” due to complications following his 2016 death, particularly the lack of a will. Netflix has dropped the project, citing several issues with the production and disagreements over editorial control among the divided heirs of Prince’s estate.

Director Ezra Edelman, known for the Emmy-winning 2016 documentary O.J.: Made in America, began working on the Prince project in 2018. Instead of delivering the agreed-upon six hours of content, Edelman produced nine hours, which breached the contract. This breach led to the invalidation of the agreement, making it open to renegotiation or cancellation.

What Caused the Rift Between Prince’s Heirs and the Netflix Documentary?

Reports indicate that representatives of Prince’s estate were unhappy with the first cut of the film, accusing it of containing “dramatic” factual inaccuracies and “sensationalized” portrayals of certain events from his life. “[Edelman’s] violation of the agreement… presumably enabled the estate to withhold music rights,” the report noted. Without Prince’s music, a documentary would face significant creative and commercial hurdles.

Both factions representing Prince’s estate have agreed to block the documentary. Prince Legacy, managed by his former manager on behalf of three court-appointed heirs, and the other three heirs who sold their shares to Primary Wave Music, have been involved in ongoing legal disputes. The documentary deal was arranged before the estate was settled and was facilitated by Comerica Bank, which was serving as the interim executor.

The controversy surrounding the documentary centered on issues beyond drug use or sexual content. According to sources, the main concerns were about sensationalization and a lack of thorough fact-checking, despite Edelman having access to Prince’s archives. Some sources suggested that the real issue was control and that the estate felt the documentary was not sufficiently positive.

Edelman is reportedly “devastated” by the project’s collapse, although there have been suggestions of a potential compromise among all parties involved.