Prince Documentary Reportedly ‘Held Hostage’ By Netflix

Back in October 2018, American filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer Ava DuVernay revealed that she was working with Netflix on a documentary about an icon: Prince. It’s been a long wait since then, and there is still no Prince documentary on Netflix. What’s the holdup?

DuVernay is no longer attached to the project, and Ezra Edelman, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind 2016’s O.J.: Made In America, is listed as the new director. In addition to the directorial changes, the documentary is allegedly being “held hostage” by Netflix.

According to a recent report in Puck (via Uproxx), Edelman finished with the film “a while back,” but the Puck report suggests that the Prince estate is unhappy with the film.

“It’s unclear what exactly peeves them,” the report states, “but one source insists it’s not revelations of drug use or sexual stuff. Instead, the estate argues there are things in the film that are inaccurate.”

Edelman’s cut of the Prince documentary is allegedly nine hours long, while Netflix reportedly requested a cut that came in at six hours. According to the Uproxx report, Netflix is holding the documentary ”hostage” until the teams meet a compromise.

When DuVernay announced her involvement in the project, she wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter), “Prince was a genius and a joy and a jolt to the senses. The only way I know how to make this film is with love. And with great care. I’m honored to do so and grateful for the opportunity entrusted to me by the estate.”

While we’ll have to wait longer for a Prince documentary to hit Netflix, his iconic 1984 drama and musical film Purple Rain is set to hit the stage for an unforgettable musical.

Two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and Tony-nominated director Lileana Blain-Cruz lead the adaptation.

In a statement to Deadline, L. Londell McMillan, chairman of The NorthStar Group, and Larry Mestel, founder and CEO of Primary Wave Music, said:

We can’t think of a more fitting tribute than to honour Prince and the ‘Purple Rain’ legacy with this stage adaptation of the beloved story.

We are thrilled with our Broadway partners and creative team, who are bringing a theatricality to the film’s original fictional story. We can’t wait for a new generation to discover ‘Purple Rain’ and for lovers of the original film and album to experience its power once again, this time live.

More details will come later this year.