Netflix Is Working On A Secret Prince Movie But There's One Big Problem

Netflix has become a go-to platform for the best documentaries, and it might just have another true-life hit on its hands — but a size issue and an estate problem could be blocking its release. Puck reports that a long-form, multi-part Prince documentary — assembled in what it describes as semi-secrecy by director Ezra Edelman after one-time director Ava DuVernay left the project– has been a work in progress at the streamer for the past four years.

But Puck says that the late musician's estate doesn't approve of the docuseries, allegedly pointing out some inaccuracies. Normally this wouldn't halt the series' release, as Edelman and Netflix have a say in the final cut. The problem is that Netflix has been contracted to create a series which runs no more than six hours, while Edelman's current cut is nine hours long. This contractual snafu is holding the release up, with the Prince estate apparently using it as an excuse to avoid letting the film go out containing material they claim is untrue and Edelman and Netflix standing strong on their creative principles. A compromise might yet be reached, but for now everything's at a standstill.

That's not a shocking move, as the singer-actor-filmmaker's estate is currently in tumult and what one heir approves of, another might not. In a way, it's a logical continuation of his legacy: Prince was notoriously protective of his property and image in life. 

Prince had a history of lawsuits behind him to prove how precious his legacy was to him. He memorably sued Warner Bros. Records to get out of his contract. He scrawled the word "slave" on his cheek as a form of protest and eschewed his name, referring to himself via an unpronounceable symbol in retaliation. Prince was fearless in his battle for artistic control over his music, even if that meant taking legal action against fans for bootlegging his music, or YouTube and eBay for selling unlicensed merchandise or uploading his music videos without his permission. Continuing this tradition, his estate itself is currently in a court battle to determine who should administer the foundation after his death.

If push comes to shove, Netflix might put out its Prince docuseries in a six-hour cut as contractually obligated — and then release an extended cut if it's successful, as it's done with multiple other projects before. Such a notion hasn't been confined to a single genre for the streamer: films like "Jawan" and the stand-up special "Chris Rock: Total Blackout" have had director's cuts released over time. More recently, it was announce that the the two-part film "Rebel Moon" will receive an R-rated director's cut on August 2. Time will tell if the Prince documentary will take a similar route.