Netflix announced it will no longer be releasing the controversial six-part documentary about Prince from director Ezra Edelman.
In a statement to Variety, the streamer announced the decision was made after meeting with the late singer’s estate.
“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,” Netflix said. “As a result, the Netflix documentary will not be released.”
After the news was announced, a post was made to the singer’s X account reading, “The Vault Has Been Freed. #FREE.”
Sources close to the project described Edelman’s documentary as “dead in the water” in July 2024. The O.J. Made In America filmmaker reportedly spent four years on the project and insisted on delivering nine hours of footage when his agreement with the estate called for a six-hour series.
Representatives from the estate slammed Edelman’s documentary, saying it contained “dramatic” and “sensationalized” inaccuracies, per Variety. However, a source clarified that the alleged inaccuracies were “not revelations of drug use or sexual stuff.”
Edelman, who was tapped to take over the project from Ava DuVernay, reportedly felt “devastated” by the estate’s response and was “not interested in a truncated version,” according to a report from Puck.
A source described the singer’s estate, which was split into two camps since 2022, as “incredibly nitpicky” when it comes to Prince’s legacy, per Page Six. But the estate maintained Edelman’s iteration of the doc “does not accurately portray the legendary Prince.”
Puck‘s Matthew Belloni reported at the time, “Netflix sources believe this is mostly a control issue, and reflects the fact that the current executors of the estate are different from those who greenlit the project in the first place.”
The “Purple Rain” singer died in 2016 from an accidental fentanyl overdose.
The singer and songwriter has been the subject of several films, including Under the Cherry Moon and Graffiti Bridge. Check out our complete guide to streaming Prince’s films.
