Oscar-winning filmmaker made a Prince documentary...but it may never air on Netflix
MINNEAPOLIS — The mystique and mystery of Prince has always been a part of his lasting appeal.
An Oscar-winning filmmaker has put together a 9-hour documentary trying to answer the essential question of who Prince really was.
But there's a good chance it will never be released to the public.
Ezra Edelman, an Oscar-winning filmmaker for his documentary 'O.J.: Made in America', worked nearly five years on a Netflix documentary exploring every facet of Prince's humanity, from his genius to his flaws.
Sasha Weiss, a deputy editor for the New York Times Magazine, is one of the few people to see the film in its entirety.
"I think it's a really layered portrayal of Prince," she said. "I think it's in many ways a celebration of his brilliance and what it takes to be such a brilliant person and some of the pain of that."
Weiss spent about one and half years reporting on the film's creation, and its subsequent shelving.
She says Edelman interviewed more than 70 people for it, including bandmates, girlfriends, managers, and Prince's sister.
Edelman also had access to Prince's personal archives with never-before-seen footage.
"You see that [Prince's] inwardness and shyness and self-consciousness is a contrast with that confidence, that glorious rock soul god that we knew," Weiss said.
Weiss calls the film a 'monument', but while it was being made, Prince's estate changed leadership.
Weiss has reported the estate demanded changes to the documentary and is currently locked in a legal battle with Netflix blocking its release.
"Nobody from the estate spoke with me on the record, but my sense is that they don't like this really complicated, checkered, sometimes negative portrayal of Prince," she said.
Charles Spicer with Prince Legacy, one of the companies that owns Prince's estate, tweeted in September, "Would you be ok with a director putting explicit coroner photos of your loved one in a documentary? #showsomedignityandrespect"
Weiss says the initial agreement between Netflix and the estate was for a six-hour film, and Edelman is apparently unwilling to edit his documentary down.
Edelman told WCCO he's not able to discuss his film or the legal dispute over it, but he says he would love for the world to see it, even though he isn't hopeful about that.
"It's just, to me, such a cultural tragedy that this movie's not emerging because it's just so good," Weiss said. "Fans are ready. They want to see this movie."
Primary Wave, one of the companies that own Prince's estate, didn't respond to WCCO's requests for comment.
In an email, Londell McMillan with Prince Legacy said "this is a nonstory" and wouldn't schedule an interview after initially agreeing to one.
Primary Wave and Prince Legacy gave a joint statement to The Hollywood Reporter in September that said, "Those with the responsibility of carrying out Prince's wishes shall honor his creativity and genius. We are working to resolve matters concerning the documentary so that his story may be told in a way that is factually correct and does not mischaracterize or sensationalize his life. We look forward to continuing to share Prince's gifts and celebrate his profound and lasting impact on the world."
Netflix didn't respond to WCCO's requests for comment.
