Netflix has brought a halt to a sprawling documentary that would have offered an unprecedented look at an American icon, and now the director is speaking out.

The streaming service first struck a deal with filmmaker Ezra Edleman – who won an Oscar in 2017 for his 8-hour documentary O.J.: Made In America – to make a documentary about music legend Prince in 2018.

This was two years after his untimely death from an accidental fentanyl at his Paisley Park home and recording studio in Chanhᴀssen, Minnesota at the age of 57.

Edelman was set to make a 9-hour documentary that follows Prince’s iconic life, spending five years on the project, after he replaced original director Ava DuVernay.

However, last year, it was revealed that the documentary was ‘ᴅᴇᴀᴅ in the water,’ after reps for Prince’s estate claimed the film contained multiple ‘factual inaccuracies,’ with reports surfacing that the film contained allegations of abuse against Prince.

That report was ultimately confirmed in February 2025, when Netflix announced not only that the Prince documentary was scrapped, but that they had struck a deal with Prince’s estate for a new documentary film. 

Netflix has brought a halt to a sprawling documentary that would have offered an unprecedented look at an American icon, and now the director is speaking out

This was two years after his untimely death from an accidental fentanyl at his Paisley Park home and recording studio in Chanhᴀssen, Minnesota at the age of 57 

That report was ultimately confirmed in February 2025, when Netflix announced not only that the Prince (seen in 1984) documentary was scrapped, but that they had struck a deal with Prince’s estate for a new documentary film. 

Now Edleman is speaking out on the Pablo Torres Speaks Out podcast, calling Netflix’s decision to scrap the film, ‘a joke.’

Early reports from July 2024 claimed Prince’s estate refused to sign off on the documentary because the length was inflated from the agreed-upon six hours to nine hours, while adding there were ‘factual inaccuracies.’

Read More Netflix’s Prince docuseries remains in limbo over dispute with estate

The estate felt the documentary contained ‘sensationalized’ events and created a stalemate that resulted in the documentary essentially going nowhere. 

Edelman said on the podcast, ‘Here’s the one thing they’re allowed to do: check the film for factual inaccuracies. Guess what? They came back with a 17-page document full of editorial issues, not factual issues. You think I have any interest in putting out a film that’s factually inaccurate?’

The director added that the Prince estate’s issues are less with factual inaccuracies and more about ‘control.’

‘This is reflective of Prince himself, who was notoriously [one of] the most famous control freaks in the history of artists,’ Edelman said.

‘The irony being that Prince was somebody that fought for artistic freedom, who didn’t want to be held down by Warner Bros. who he believed was stifling his output. Now, in this case, it’s like, by the way I’m not Prince, but I worked really hard making something and now my art’s being stifled and thrown away,’ Edelman said.

When he came on board in 2018, he was given access to Prince’s archives, which he called, ‘a gift.’

Now Edleman is speaking out on the Pablo Torres Speaks Out podcast , calling Netflix’s decision to scrap the film, ‘a joke’ 

Edelman said on the podcast, ‘Here’s the one thing they’re allowed to do: check the film for factual inaccuracies. Guess what? They came back with a 17-page document full of editorial issues, not factual issues. You think I have any interest in putting out a film that’s factually inaccurate?’

The director added that the Prince estate’s issues are less with factual inaccuracies and more about ‘control.’

‘This is reflective of Prince himself, who was notoriously [one of] the most famous control freaks in the history of artists,’ Edelman said 

‘A nine-hour treatment about an artist who was by the way f***ing brilliant. Everything about who you believe he is is in this movie. You get to bathe in his genius. And yet, you also have to confront his humanity,’ Edelman said.

Back in September, New York Times reporter Sasha Weiss – one of the few people to have seen the film – called it a ‘cursed masterpiece’ while outlying some of the claims made in the film.

The documentary features an interview with Jill Jones, an ex-lover who revealed she slapped Prince after he kissed a friend of hers in a H๏τel in 1984.

Prince then allegedly responded by saying, ‘B***h, this ain’t no f***ing movie,’ and then proceeded to punch her in the face numerous times.

The documentary also features an interview with another ex-lover, Susannah Melvoin, who said Prince told her not to leave the house, while monitoring her calls, in an effort to keep her away from her sister after moving in with the musician.