Prince property and Netflix reduce ties on documentary

MINNEAPOLIS — A nine-hour documentary exploring the lifetime of Prince won’t be launched on Netflix, and a brand new movie will probably be produced by the Prince property.

A press release posted on the official Prince Fb web page Thursday stated the next: 

“The Prince Property and Netflix have come to a mutual settlement that can permit the property to develop and produce a brand new documentary that includes unique content material from Prince’s archive. Because of this, the Netflix documentary won’t be launched.”

A 30-second video was posted on Prince’s official X web page Thursday with accompanying textual content saying “The Vault Has Been Freed. #FREE.”

Oscar-winning filmmaker Ezra Edelman had labored for almost 5 years on the documentary exploring each side of Prince’s humanity, from his genius to his flaws.

Sasha Weiss, a deputy editor for the New York Occasions Journal, has spent round one-and-a-half years reporting on the movie’s creation, and its shelving. She says Prince’s property modified management whereas it was being made. 

“No person from the property spoke with me on the report, however my sense is that they do not like this actually difficult, checkered, typically detrimental portrayal of Prince,” she stated throughout an interview with WCCO in January.   

Weiss says Edelman interviewed greater than 70 folks for the documentary. 

Charles Spicer with Prince Legacy, one of many firms that owns Prince’s property, tweeted in September, “Would you be OK with a director placing express coroner pictures of your beloved in a documentary? #showsomedignityandrespect.”  

Be aware: The above video first aired on Jan. 9, 2025.