Director of Prince’s Documentary Film Calls Netflix Abolition a ‘Joke’

Netflix Cancels Prince Documentary Project

The director of the documentary “Speech Prince” has remarked that this situation is a “joke,” following Netflix’s decision to cancel the project.

• READ MORE: 20 best songs by the prince of all time from the NME office

Director’s Take on Cancellations

Last month, the streaming giant announced that the highly anticipated nine-part series exploring the life and career of the music icon was put on hold in favor of a new “mutual agreement” with the Prince Estate. Instead, a new deal will enable Netflix to “develop and create a new documentary featuring exclusive content from the prince’s archive.”

Director Ezra Edelman, renowned for his work on OJ: Made in America, was the first to address the decision to suspend the series.

During an appearance on the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast, Edelman stated: “This is a joke… I can’t ignore the challenges posed by a group of people whose interests are purely profit-driven. They are afraid of his humanity.”

Edelman further explained that he received a list of editorial changes from the prince’s representatives, which hindered his ability to tell the story as he envisioned. “Do you think I am interested in releasing a film that is actually inaccurate?” he remarked.

He described his approach in balancing creative genius with personal insight, stating: “It all revolves around who he represents in this film. You find yourself in his genius, and yet you must acknowledge his humanity. People had issues regarding how he treated others – he was emotionally and physically aggressive.”

See clips from the podcast below.

The director Oscar Ezra Edelman first speaks of a disagreement with Netflix and the Prince Estate, who opted against releasing his documentary.

“This is a joke. … I can’t ignore the challenges posed by a group of people whose interests are their own profits. They… pic.twitter.com/q8xisisirsy

– Pablo Torre Recognizes (@pablofindsout) March 4, 2025

“Several individuals mentioned that, based on the prince’s mindset, he almost felt he was punished for his sins. People had problems with how he treated others – he was emotionally offensive, he was physically abusive.”

Director Ezra Edelman explains the complexities… pic.twitter.com/6yptax1al1

– Pablo Torre Recognizes (@pablofindsout) March 4, 2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x93Y4ECBCEA

Edelman worked on the project for the past four years, succeeding Ava Duvernay in the role, and had extensive access to the prince’s archives.

However, it was reported last July that Edelman’s efforts had been halted and were “dead in the water” following numerous disputes with the prince’s estate. The late artist’s team stated that the initial cut of the Netflix film was filled with “dramatic” inaccuracies and “sensationalized” portrayals of certain events from his life, according to Diversity.

The agreement for the documentary also stipulated a six-hour series, but reports indicated that Edelman delivered nine hours, which was perceived as a breach of the contract.

The prince passed away from a Fentanyl overdose in 2016, and with no will, his six heirs each inherited equal shares of his estate. This has led to a prolonged legal battle over the future management of the estate.