Controversial Prince Netflix documentary will not be released

It’s official: The controversial nine-hour authorized Prince documentary directed by Oscar-winning Ezra Edelman for Netflix will not be released.

“The Prince Estate and Netflix have come to a mutual agreement that will allow the estate to develop and produce a new documentary featuring exclusive content from Prince’s archive,” Netflix said in a statement sent Thursday to the Minnesota Star Tribune. “As a result, the Netflix documentary will not be released.”

“The Vault has been freed,” Prince’s account on X declared Thursday.

Londell McMillan, co-manager of Prince Legacy LLC, told the Star Tribune on Thursday that “the vault is free. It’s a big, big win for Prince’s legacy.”

Neither McMillan nor a Netflix spokesperson would comment on the terms of the agreement to quash the five-years-in-the-making Edelman documentary.

The original contract gave Netflix exclusive access to material — recordings, videos, films, photos, etc. — in the vault of the Minnesota icon, who died in 2016.

The controversy over the Netflix documentary was discussed in depth in a Sept. 8 story in the New York Times. Edelman had screened the nine-hour film for a handful of people, including Prince superfan Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and representatives of Prince’s estate.

[More: Bream: I was grilled for 6 hours by the director of the controversial Prince documentary]

Prince’s estate — now controlled equally by Primary Wave and Prince Legacy LLC after his surviving siblings sold their shares — was reportedly objecting to some of the specifics, such as coroner’s photos, thus preventing its release, per the original contract with Netflix.

With the Netflix project shelved, Prince’s estate has access to the vault, which could mean future recordings, videos and films.

“We’re excited to have the right to put a plan together, which is exciting for the fans and his legacy,” McMillan said. “Thankfully we were able to reach an agreement with Netflix.”

McMillan’s plans include a documentary — “an in-depth piece that explores the complexities of the brilliant musical genius.” He declined to discuss any details but said there could be multiple documentaries.

Meanwhile, the Broadway-bound musical of “Purple Rain” is set to open in October at the State Theatre in Minneapolis.

In the 2024 year-end issue of Billboard magazine, Prince Legacy LLC took out a two-page ad, including a mention of the musical, tours of Paisley Park and a Prince documentary in 2026-27.

With the Netflix documentary behind him, McMillan said the estate is now able to set a timetable for future projects involving assets from the vault.