Prince Documentary Stalls Amid Multiple Disputes

A six-part documentary series about the life and times of Prince, announced in 2018, has been described as “dead in the water.” The fallout stems from Prince’s death in 2016, without leaving a will, creating continuous conflicts among his heirs.

Several reasons have led to Netflix dropping the project, one major factor being the dispute over editorial control with the musician’s estate, which is divided among his heirs. Renowned director Ezra Edelman, known for the Emmy-winning documentary O.J.: Made In America, initially embarked on the project.

According to a report from Variety, Edelman delivered nine hours of television content instead of the agreed six, breaching the contract. This breach made the agreement void, opening it up for renegotiation or outright cancellation.

The estate representatives of the late artist claimed that the first cut of the film was riddled with “dramatic” factual inaccuracies and “sensationalized” versions of certain events in Prince’s life.

“[Edelman’s] violation of the agreement… presumably enabled the estate to withhold music rights,” noted sources. “Although Netflix and Edelman maintain the final cut of the film, a Prince documentary devoid of his music would face daunting and possibly insurmountable creative and commercial obstacles.”

Interestingly, both parties representing Prince’s estate came together to block the documentary. Prince Legacy is managed by his former manager for three court-determined heirs, while the other three sold their shares to Primary Wave Music. One of several lawsuits between the factions is still ongoing. It’s important to note that the documentary deal happened before the estate settlement, arranged through Comerica Bank, the interim executor.

Variety’s sources revealed that the contested material in the first cut was not related to “drug use or sexual stuff,” but rather concerns about sensationalism and lack of fact-checking. This is despite Edelman having access to Prince’s archives.

The report mentioned that other sources indicated the issues were more about “control,” and the estate felt the documentary was not sufficiently positive.

Edelman is said to be “devastated” over the project’s collapse, although Variety hinted that there might still be room for compromise among the parties involved.