Prince Documentary ‘Dead in the Water’ After Multiple Disputes

A six-part documentary series about the life and times of Prince was described as “dead in the water” as the fallout of his 2016 death without a will continued.

A handful of reasons were reported to be behind Netflix dropping the project, including a battle over editorial control with the divided heirs of the musician’s estate.

Director Ezra Edelmen – who created the Emmy-winning 2016 documentary O.J.: Made In America – started work in 2018, Variety reported. He delivered nine hours of TV instead of the agreed six. That represented a breach of contract, which invalidated the agreement, leaving it open for renegotiation or cancellation.

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“[R]epresentatives for the late artist’s estate claimed a first cut of the film was filled with ‘dramatic’ factual inaccuracies and ‘sensationalized’ renderings of certain events from his life,” the reported said.

“[Edelman’s] violation of the agreement… presumably enabled the estate to withhold music rights. Although Netflix and Edelman maintain final cut of the film, a Prince documentary without his music would face daunting, if not insurmountable, creative and commercial obstacles.”

It was noted that – for once – both parties which represent Prince’s estate agreed on blocking the documentary. Prince Legacy is operated by his former manager on behalf of three court-determined heirs; the other three sold their share to Primary Wave Music. One of several lawsuits between the parties remains in play. Notably, the documentary deal was done before the estate had been settled, having been arranged via Comerica Bank, which had been put in place as interim executor.

What Upset Prince’s Heirs About Abandoned Netflix Documentary?

According to one of Variety’s sources, the offending material in the first cut had no connection to “drug use or sexual stuff,” but instead related to sensationalization and a lack of fact-checking – even though Edelman had been given access to Prince’s archive.

“[D]ifferent sources [said] that the issues were more about ‘control,’ and the estate felt the documentary was not sufficiently positive,” the report added.

Edelman was said to be “devastated” over the collapse of his project, although Variety said “a willingness by all parties to compromise has been suggested.”