There’s a nine-hour documentary exploring Prince’s true nature...but the catch is, you may never get to see it. Ezra Edelman, the director of the project, has experience exploring the ins and outs of multi-faceted individuals, as his 2016 documentary, “O.J.: Made in America,” won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 2017 Oscars.
So why is this never-before-seen Netflix documentary that Edelman worked on for more than five years being locked away?
Unfortunately, after seeing a cut of the project, the singer’s estate has demanded that edits be made to the film leading to them being locked in a legal dispute over its release, according to CBS Minnesota.
One of the few people fortunate to see the entire documentary is Sasha Weiss, a deputy editor of New York Times Magazine.
In an interview with CBS Minnesota, she shared, “I think it’s a really layered portrayal of Prince. 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.”
But despite her high praise of the film, there’s little chance that anyone else will get to experience it.
In a September story written by Weiss, she reported that Edelman was interested in tackling the project because Netflix was able to secure access to the singer’s personal archive located at Prince’s home in Chanhassen, Minn.
As a result, Netflix and Prince’s estate agreed on a six-hour film to be made. After interviewing more than 70 people for the project including family, friends, bodyguards, executives, managers, and girlfriends, Edelman’s cut came out to nine hours, three hours longer than what Netflix and the estate expected.
Even though he was allegedly asked to create a six-hour documentary, Edelman is not willing to edit down his nine-hour cut.
In a September statement from Primary Wave and Prince Legacy, two of the companies that own the singer’s estate, they 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.”
Even though they claim that matters are being “resolved,” the director of the film isn’t so optimistic, telling CBS Minnesota that he doubts fans of the “Purple Rain” singer will ever see it.
All fans can do now is hope that they will one day be able to watch it and experience the film in its entirety.