Why Netflix canceled its controversial nine-hour Prince documentary
What's the story
Netflix has reportedly canceled the release of a nine-hour documentary series on late music icon Prince.
The decision comes after a mutual agreement between Netflix and Prince's estate, which will now develop a separate documentary with exclusive content from Prince's archive.
"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," read their joint statement.
Social media celebration
Prince's estate celebrated the news on social media
The news of the agreement was first reported by Puck and later celebrated by Prince's estate on social media.
They shared a post stating that the "Prince vault has been freed," along with a video clip set to Prince's 1982 song Free.
The post also included a quote from the late icon saying, "Despite everything, no one can dictate who you are to other people."
Twitter Post
Take a look at the announcement post here
The Vault Has Been Freed. #FREEpic.twitter.com/uvAbzEBbTc
— Prince (@prince) February 6, 2025
Documentary dispute
Controversy surrounding the canceled documentary
The canceled documentary—helmed by Ezra Edelman—was reportedly a complex and not always-flattering portrait of Prince. It took nearly five years to make and was stuck in legal limbo due to disputes over its content.
Although Netflix and Edelman had final cut rights, the estate was allowed to review the documentary for factual accuracy.
This led to conflicts as representatives of the estate blocked its release due to alleged "dramatic" factual inaccuracies and "sensationalized" renderings of certain events from Prince's life.
Estate control
Prince's estate is currently controlled by Primary Wave, Prince Legacy
Prince died of an accidental fentanyl overdose at the age of 57.
His estate is now divided equally between Primary Wave, which bought its share from three Prince heirs in 2021, and Prince Legacy.
The latter is managed by estate managers L Londell McMillan and Charles Spicer Jr., and three remaining relatives.
Recently, McMillan and Spicer won a legal battle when a judge dismissed an attempt by the heirs involved in Prince Legacy to remove them as estate managers.