Netflix has cancelled its highly anticipated Prince documentary, a nine-hour film chronicling the life of the late musician, due to disagreements with Prince's estate over the project's portrayal of the artist. The documentary, directed by Ezra Edelman, was already completed but will not be released on the streaming platform.

The decision to axe the documentary was reportedly a "mutual agreement" between Netflix and Prince's estate, which has now gained the ability to develop its own documentary featuring exclusive content from Prince's archive. The news was announced on Thursday, with Prince's official X account posting a message stating "The Vault Has Been Freed" along with quotes that seem to hint at the estate's desire to control the narrative around Prince's life.

Edelman, an Academy Award-winning director, spent five years working on the documentary after Netflix signed a deal with Comerica Bank and Trust, the executors of Prince's estate, in 2018. The original deal guaranteed that Prince's estate would not exercise editorial control over the film's final version. However, things took a turn in 2022 when the Netflix executive who brokered the deal left the company, and Prince's estate came under new ownership that was unhappy with early cuts of the film.

According to sources within Prince's estate, parts of Edelman's documentary were deemed "sensationalized" and insufficiently fact-checked. However, it appears that the estate was more concerned with the film's portrayal of Prince's personal life, which included interviews with former protégées and lovers who shared differing accounts of their experiences with the singer. The documentary reportedly painted a complicated picture of Prince, highlighting his paradoxes and controversies.

The cancellation of the documentary raises questions about the role of estates and ownership in controlling the narrative around public figures. While Prince's estate has gained the ability to develop its own documentary, it remains unclear when or where this new project will be released. The move has sparked debate about the importance of artistic freedom and the need for nuanced, balanced portrayals of complex figures like Prince.

The news has also sparked speculation about the future of documentaries and biopics, particularly in the era of streaming and social media. As the entertainment industry continues to grapple with issues of ownership, control, and representation, the cancellation of Netflix's Prince documentary serves as a timely reminder of the complexities and challenges involved in telling the stories of public figures.

In the meantime, fans of Prince will have to wait and see what the estate's new documentary project will entail. With the promise of exclusive content from Prince's archive, it remains to be seen whether this new project will provide a more sanitized or nuanced portrayal of the late singer's life.