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Prince's Estate Bans Netflix Film About Him

Prince's Estate Bans Netflix Film About Him

The estate of the late musician Prince has canceled the release of a nine-hour Netflix documentary about him.

"The Prince Estate and Netflix have reached a mutual agreement that will allow Netflix to develop and produce a new documentary film featuring exclusive material from the Prince archive. As a result, the Netflix documentary will not be released," the streaming service said in a statement.

The untitled project was directed by Ezra Edelman, an Oscar and Emmy winner for his eight-hour 2016 film O.J.: Made in America, which chronicles the life and criminal trial of O.J. Simpson.

Edelman, who spent five years making his Prince film, originally received unprecedented access to Prince's archives, known as "The Vault," in an undisclosed multimillion-dollar deal. The estate, however, promised not to interfere with the film's development, which involved a number of people close to Prince, including former band members, managers, girlfriends, and one of his sisters.

But in 2022, after Prince's estate was transferred to the management of some of his heirs, associates, and Primary Wave, the new owners blocked Edelman from accessing The Vault. The Netflix executive who commissioned the film then left the company, and after viewing the film, Prince's estate reportedly made a series of demands for edits and reshoots.

Variety's sources claim that the estate found the film "bloated" and factually inaccurate. Music producer Charles Spicer, one of the estate's heirs, wrote on X's social media account in 2024:

"We have a responsibility to honor and protect his legacy by telling a story that does justice to his depth, as well as his greatness." Now that the film’s release has been canceled, the estate has released the same statement as Netflix, along with a new video titled “The Vault has been freed,” which features footage of Prince and two quotes from him: “No matter what, no one can dictate who you are to anyone else” and “The truth is, you’re either here to enlighten or you’re here to discourage.” Attorney Londell McMillan called the decision “a big, big victory for Prince’s estate.” He said the estate’s planned documentary will be “an in-depth work that explores the intricacies of musical genius.”