Long-awaited nine-hour documentary on Prince shelved by Netflix
A long-awaited nine-hour documentary on Prince has been shelved by Netflix. Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Ezra Edelman the project has reportedly been canned following tensions with the late 'Purple Rain' singer's estate, with it and the streamer confirming in a joint statement on Friday (07.02.25) that they would be moving in a different direction. It said: '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. As a result, the Netflix documentary will not be released.' Filmmaker Ezra, 50, had been working on the project since 2019 after being approached by Netflix. According to The New York Times, the deal granted him and Netflix final cut, while the estate retained rights to review the film for factual accuracy. The estate was shown a cut of the documentary in 2023 and responded with a 17-page list of requested changes, according to attorney L Londell McMillan, one of the estate's administrators. While Ezra agreed to some, he declined others. New York Times culture reporter Sasha Weiss, who attended a private screening of the film, described the documentary as a 'cursed masterpiece' and reported it provided an in-depth exploration of Prince's music, career, and personal life – including aspects he had kept private before his death in 2016 at the age of 57. The documentary included interviews with more than 70 people, as well as never-before-seen footage from Prince's vault. Among the topics reportedly covered were the loss of Prince's infant son with his ex-wife Mayte Garcia, his difficult childhood, and allegations of physical abuse from former partners. According to The New York Times, one scene featured singer Jill Jones recounting an incident in 1984 in which she claimed the musician had punched her repeatedly. A report from Variety in July suggested the project was already 'dead in the water' following the screening, with estate representatives claiming it was factually inaccurate and 'sensationalised'.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
UPI
18 minutes ago
- UPI
N.Y. judge tosses Justin Baldoni's $400M lawsuit against Blake Lively
1 of 3 | Actress Blake Lively (L) and husband Ryan Reynolds (R) arrived April 9 on the red carpet at the 2025 TIME100 Gala Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo June 9 (UPI) -- A New York judge on Monday dismissed Justin Baldoni's $400M lawsuit against actress Blake Lively. Federal Judge Lewis Liman of New York's southern district accepted the motion to dismiss the multi-million-dollar counter lawsuit filed by Baldoni that alleged defamation and extortion. In addition, the judge, likewise, tossed out a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The New York Times. "The [parties in the suit known as the] Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Lively is responsible for any statements other than the statements in her CRD complaint, which are privileged," Liman wrote in his 132-page ruling. "The Wayfarer Parties' additional claims also fail," the judge added. "Accordingly, the Amended Complaint must be dismissed in its entirety." However, Liman noted that Baldoni, 41, will still have the legal option to amend his claims for breach of implied covenant and contract interference with a June 23 deadline. The It Ends With Us director Baldoni was accused in December of sexual harassment by his co-star Lively, which Baldoni claimed was "categorically false." In January, Baldoni filed a $250 million libel lawsuit against the New York Times over an article that "falsely" detailed Lively's allegations during filming. Lively, 37, claimed in her California Civil Rights Department complaint filed Dec. 20 that the harassment damaged her business and caused her family, including husband actor Ryan Reynolds, "severe emotional distress" and after the suit alleged Reynolds called Baldoni a "sexual predator." On Monday, lawyers for Lively -- Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb -- called the court decision a "total victory and a complete vindication." "As we have said from day one, this $400 million lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it," they said in the statement, adding they look forward to the "next round," which will be to seek attorney fees, treble and punitive damages. Discovery+ announced plans in March to air a docuseries in Britain this month called Baldoni vs. Lively: A Hollywood Feud. Meanwhile, the trial for Baldoni and Lively, which was scheduled for March 26, was expected to see both names testify.
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Music Industry Moves: Sony Music Publishing Acquires Hipgnosis Songs Group
Sony Music Publishing will take ownership of Hipgnosis Songs Group, Variety has confirmed. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The deal includes songs from Sabrina Carpenter, Blake Mills, My Morning Jacket, Alex Warren, St. Vincent, Kali Uchis and more, with Sony Music Publishing taking over Hipgnosis Songs' publishing and third-party administration businesses. This news was first reported by acquisition comes on the heels of Hipgnosis rebranding to Recognition Music Group in March, which folded the Hipgnosis Songs Fund and Hipgnosis Songs Assets into the new group. More from Variety Music Industry Moves: HarbourView Acquires Royalty Rights From Michael Jackson, Justin Bieber Producer Rodney 'Darkchild' Jerkins Lenny Tavárez, Sony Music Publishing and More Recognized at 2025 SESAC Latina Music Awards: Complete Winners List Music Industry Moves: Kesha Launches New Community Platform Smash In 2024, Hipgnosis struck two enormous deals: the sale of the Hipgnosis Songs Fund to financial behemoth Blackstone for $1.6 billion, after which founder Merck Mercuriadis exited and Blackstone took the then-publicly traded company private. The second was Hipgnosis' issuance of $1.47 billion in bonds backed by royalties of music from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bon Jovi, 50 Cent and year 'marked a pivotal transition for the company with the Hipgnosis entities coming under common ownership and the completion of a landmark $1.47 billion financing – demonstrating strong investor conviction in the asset class,' Qasim Abbas, head of tactical opportunities international for Blackstone, said at the Variety reported last year, Hipgnosis helped drive up the price of music catalogs through its purchases, paying top dollar to a large number of top producers and songwriters for their work. The market then followed suit, driving up the value of catalogs enormously — Hipgnosis paid a reported $100 million for half of Neil Young's songs catalog. In separate deals Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen reportedly were paid as much as four to six times that — but Hipgnosis grew overextended as investors questioned the company's ability to exploit the catalogs it had Music Publishing is the largest such company in the world, with 6.63 million songs in its catalog as of March 31, according to the most recent available data. + HarbourView, the content-focused investment firm founded in 2021, has announced $500 million in debt financing via the financial conglomerate KKR. Last year, the two companies struck a similar deal, also for $500 million.'This additional capital from KKR will help us accelerate our strategy to align with where the media, sports and entertainment markets are headed,' HarbourView Founder and CEO Sherrese Clarke said in a year, it was announced HarbourView would be financing a Queen Latifah biopic. Earlier this year, it purchased the rights to T-Pain's catalog, along with certain assets from Grammy-winning producer Rodney Jerkins. The company's catalog includes music from Brad Paisley, Justin Bieber, Olivia Rodrigo and Cardi B and hits like Pat Benatar's 'Hit Me With Your Best Shot' and Nelly's 'Hot in Herre,' the latter as part of a $50 million deal.'In the industrialized revolution, we're going from horse and buggy into motorized cars,' Clarke told Variety's 'Strictly Business' podcast last year. + Cooking Vinyl, home to Billy Bragg, Roger Waters, the Jesus and Mary Chain and many more iconic artists from the UK and beyond, is being acquired by the U.S.-based Exceleration Music, the companies have has struck deals with numerous companies including its acquisition of Redeye in 2023, the acquisition of Kill Rock Stars and a 'financial alliance' with Mom+Pop Music in 2022 and acquiring Bloodshot Records in 2021, among others. One of the company's earliest deals was with Chicago-based blues stalwart Alligator Records in was founded in 2021 by former Concord Music Group CEO Glenn Barros along with Amy Dietz, John Burk, Charles Caldas and Dave Hansen with 'substantial investment capital,' according to Music Business Worldwide.'It's great to see the music industry being embraced by the investment world. Not so long ago, most investors thought this industry was finished,' Barros said at the time. 'But this influx of capital has in many ways turned music into a commodity to be traded like any other financial asset.' Best of Variety 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Animated Program — Can Netflix Score Big With 'Arcane,' 'Devil May Cry' and the Final Season of 'Big Mouth?' Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Billie Eilish's Brother Makes Shocking Claim About L.A. Protests
Billie Eilish's Brother Makes Shocking Claim About L.A. Protests originally appeared on Parade. Finneas, the older brother and longtime collaborator of , says he was 'tear-gassed' while at the protests in Los Angeles over the weekend. Finneas (also known as Finneas O'Connell) has not shied away from controversial political messages since becoming famous alongside his sister. Finneas has written and produced music for his sister, including her breakthrough album, When We All Fall Alseep, Where Do We Go? and her Oscar-winning songs 'No Time To Die' and 'What Was I Made For.' He has also collaborated with a variety of other artists, in addition to his own music. And while Fineas would presumably prefer to use his platform to promote The Favors, his new duo with singer-songwriter Ashe, that wasn't the case on Sunday. Finneas was reportedly at the protests in his native Los Angeles. It's unclear whether Finneas participated in the demonstrations against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for detaining dozens across Southern California, or if he was an observer. 'Tear gassed almost immediately at the very peaceful protests [in Downtown Los Angeles],' he posted on his Instagram Story, before claiming, 'They're inciting this.' Finneas also shared many messages in support of the protestors and messages denouncing President Donald Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard. Billie and Finneas have been politically active for years. In June 2020, the 'Bad Guy' singer attended a Black Lives Matter march in Los Angeles to protest the killing of George Floyd, per The Independent. Billie also spoke out during her 2022 Glastonbury performance following the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade, per the BBC. In 2024, Billie shared a bold political message for her fans ahead of the U.S. Presidential election. Other stars, including Eva Longoria, Chrissy Teigen, Tim Heidecker, and Florence Pugh, have all posted in support of the protest and against the ICE raids. Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong also made a bold statement on the protests, using one of the band's recently released Eilish's Brother Makes Shocking Claim About L.A. Protests first appeared on Parade on Jun 9, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
