Netflix’s Prince documentary has been axed by the late artist’s estate

Netflix definitely wanted to debut Ezra Edelman’s nine-hour-long documentary chronicling Prince’s life, but that won’t be happening thanks to the late singer’s estate.

Though Edelman’s untitled documentary was already completed, Netflix announced on Thursday that it has “come to a mutual agreement” with Prince’s estate to keep the film from being released. As part of the agreement, the estate also now has the ability to develop a documentary of its own “featuring exclusive content from Prince’s archive.” 

Along with the announcement Prince’s official X account posted a message stating “The Vault Has Been Freed” along with the quotes: “Despite everything, no one can dictate who you are to other people,” and “The truth is, you’re either here to enlighten or discourage.”

Edelman, who won an Academy Award in 2016 for his documentary O.J.: Made in America, spent five years on his Prince project after Netflix signed a 2018 deal with Comerica Bank and Trust, the executors of Prince’s estate at the time. The original deal guaranteed that Prince’s e …

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