Oscar Winner Ezra Edelman Slams ‘Short-Sighted' Netflix Over Scrapped Prince Doc: ‘My Art Is Being Stifled'
Ezra Edelman did not mince words when asked for his perspective on his Prince documentary being scrapped at Netflix.
While on the 'Pablo Torre Finds Out' podcast in an episode that aired Tuesday, the Oscar-winning 'O.J.: Made in America' director said Netflix and Prince's estate thinking his nine-hour, six-part docuseries would harm the artist's legacy is 'a joke.'
'Here's the one thing they were allowed to do – check for factual inaccuracies,' Edelman said. 'Guess what? They came back with a 17-page document full of editorial issues, not factual issues. 'You think I have any interest in putting out a film that is factually inaccurate?'
Edelman was quick to point out that Prince championed artistic freedom and now a documentary about his life is being blocked for its maker's own creative decisions.
'I'm not Prince, but I worked really hard making something and now my art is being stifled and thrown away,' he said.
Watch a segment from the interview below:
Edelman later added, 'I can't get past this – the short-sightedness of a group of people whose interest is their own bottom line. They're afraid of his humanity. The lawyer who runs the estate essentially said he believed this would do generational harm to Prince.'
Netflix and the Prince estate released a statement in early February announcing that Edelman's project would not release and the streamer would be putting together a different documentary on the legend.
'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. 'As a result, the Netflix documentary will not be released.'
When Edelman signed on for the project, he was given access to the late artist's archives to produce a six-hour series. According to a report by the New York Times, he instead turned in a nine-hour cut of the docuseries that included Prince's ex-girlfriends accusing him of both physical and emotional abuse.
'This is a gift — a nine-hour treatment about an artist that was, by the way, f–king brilliant,' Edelman finished. 'Everything about who you believe he is is in this movie. You get to bathe in his genius. And yet you also have to confront his humanity.'
The post Oscar Winner Ezra Edelman Slams 'Short-Sighted' Netflix Over Scrapped Prince Doc: 'My Art Is Being Stifled' appeared first on TheWrap.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
BET Awards: Jamie Foxx Tearfully Thanks God for Giving Him a 'Second Chance' After Health Scare
Jamie Foxx got emotional while accepting the Ultimate Icon Award at the 2025 BET Awards on Monday night. The actor-comedian-singer struggled to hold back tears during his speech as he thanked God for giving him a 'second chance' following his health emergency in April 2023. He revealed in his Netflix special, Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…, that he had suffered a brain bleed that led to a stroke. More from The Hollywood Reporter Jonathan Mayers, Concert Promoter and Bonnaroo Co-Founder, Dies at 51 Doechii Calls Out Trump's "Ruthless Attacks" Amid L.A. Protests in BET Speech: "What Type of Government Is That?" Thank You, Sly Stone 'I cannot even begin to express the love that I feel from everybody out there,' Foxx began after accepting the award. 'I gotta be honest, when I saw the In Memoriam, I was like, man, it could have been me. I don't know why I went through what I went through, but I know my second chance, I'm not gonna turn down.' 'I have so much love to give. I told him [God], I said, man, just give me one more crack at this,' Foxx continued as his eyes filled with tears. 'I said, for whatever reason you put this on me, I promise I'm gonna do right. And I'm gonna do right in front of y'all 'cause I know a lot of times when we get on, we forget about where we come from. When I did my special, it was in front of Black people. Black people were the ones that said, man, we got you. Not to say that white people can't pray either. I know that sounds weird, but y'all know what I'm saying. It's like you guys held me down, and I don't want to make this whole speech about that, but you can't go through something like that and not testify.' The Oscar-winning actor also showed his appreciation for his daughters, Corinne and Anelise, for helping him through his tough recovery and making 'sure I was here.' Prior to his Netflix special, Foxx shared few details about an undisclosed medical complication in April 2023 that left him hospitalized. He then disappeared from the spotlight for six months to focus on recovery. Elsewhere during his speech, Foxx also thanked BET 'for this wonderful award.' He added, 'I say this all the time, thank you to Black people and the Black award, because this is what really counts. A lot of people think like the Oscars is the biggest thing, and we got to quit thinking like that. And that's coming from a person who won an Oscar, I was nominated twice, but the Icon Award is the most important award because it comes from us.' The 25th BET Awards, hosted by Kevin Hart, were held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles Monday night. Check out the full winners list and the night's red carpet arrivals here. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Harvey Weinstein's retrial verdict is a measured #MeToo victory during the backlash era
– Verdict's in. In an era of #MeToo backlash, with hyper-masculinity ruling from Washington, D.C. to Silicon Valley, the retrial of Harvey Weinstein could serve as a kind of litmus test—would his guilty verdict hold up in 2025? Yesterday, a jury found the former Hollywood producer and convicted sexual predator guilty on the top charge he faced in New York—but acquitted him of the second and failed to reach a verdict on the third. Three women—former production assistant Miriam Haley, former model Kaja Sokola, and Jessica Mann, who aspired to become an actress—brought claims forward against Weinstein. These weren't the most headline-grabbing of Weinstein's dozens of reported offenses—no celebrities involved—but they were what ultimately brought him to justice in 2020 (as did a trial in Los Angeles, which Weinstein is appealing). Weinstein's attorneys were counting on the vastly different cultural moment we are in to protect the ex-mogul. As the New York Times put it, his lawyers bet that the '#MeToo movement had waned enough to cast doubt on the motives and credibility of his accusers.' Attorney Arthur Aidala previously said that the women who accused Weinstein were 'were trying to take advantage of [him]'—because of the impact of the #MeToo movement. Weinstein has continued to deny the allegations against him. While accusations against Weinstein sparked the #MeToo movement, they weren't its sum-total. The movement led to the passage of the Adult Survivors Act, which allowed victims of years-old abuse to come forward—including musician Cassie, leading to Diddy's ongoing trial today. The jury is expected to return today to deliberate on the third charge. Whatever the outcome, #MeToo is bigger than Weinstein—but the movement can still count his partial verdict as a measured victory during a hostile political moment. Emma The Most Powerful Women Daily newsletter is Fortune's daily briefing for and about the women leading the business world. Today's edition was curated by Nina Ajemian. Subscribe here. This story was originally featured on
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Netflix's new thriller series has netted a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes — I can absolutely see why
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. I've been completely hooked on the new crime thriller, The Survivors, since it landed on Netflix last week and it seems I'm not the only one who enjoyed the series, as the show has also now landed a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The six-part series, based on the bestseller by Jane Harper, is set in the fictional seaside town of Evelyn Bay in Tasmania and follows Kieran Elliot, whose life was changed forever 15 years ago when his brother and best friend drowned while trying to rescue him from a terrible storm. While the small town was rocked by the terrible tragedy, a young woman called Gabby also went missing on the same night. However, this is a mystery that no one in the local area seems to talk about. But why? For any show to earn a perfect rating on Rotten Tomatoes is no easy task, but I can see why The Survivors has been awarded this honor. From the very first episode, I found myself gripped by the chillingly dark story, and the series really kicks off with a bang when, in the present day, Bronte, a woman from out of town comes to investigate what happened to Gabby on the fateful day she vanished a decade and a half ago. However, it soon transpires that there is someone in the town harbouring dark secrets and willing to go to unimaginable lengths to keep hidden when Brontë's digging into the past leads to her turning up dead on the beach. But who has killed her and what did she unearth that got her murdered? Soon, a complex web of secrets and lies is revealed and this show is one that will keep you guessing right until the very end of the series. Just when you think you have worked out where the storyline is going, another fresh twist hits you, and you're left questioning everyone and everything once again. If you are yet to watch The Survivors, make sure this is one show you add to your watch list - I promise you won't regret it. All six episodes of The Survivors ware available on Netflix worldwide now.
