Prince Netflix Documentary Loses Director Ava DuVernay
Ava DuVernay, the Golden Globe and Academy Award nominated filmmaker, had been slated to helm the production. However, during a conversation with the LA Times, the director revealed she is no longer involved in the project.
“It just didn’t work out,” DuVernay said, citing “creative differences” as the reason. “There’s a lot of beautiful material there. I wish them well.”
DuVernay had been working on the Prince project for about a year. Deadline reported that the filmmaker visited Paisley Park on several occasions and that Prince himself had even expressed interest in collaborating with DuVernay before his ultimately death. The acclaimed director's previous credits include the 2014 feature film Selma and 2019 mini-series When They See Us, the latter of which was distributed by Netflix.
“Prince was a genius and a joy and a jolt to the senses,” the director tweeted in October 2018 after news of her involvement became official. “The only way I know how to make this film is with love. And with great care. I’m honored to do so and grateful for the opportunity entrusted to me by the estate.”
Now, it appears, Netflix will search for a new director to lead the project. Variety previously reported that the documentary has the full cooperation of the Prince’s estate, which is providing interviews, footage and photos from the late singer’s archives.
The film is one of several Prince related works currently in production. Universal Pictures is developing a musical film inspired by the singer's work, while actress Elizabeth Banks will star in a movie based on the real-life story of a hotel maid who won a date with Prince. Mr. Nelson on the North Side, a separate documentary chronicling the music icon's early years, is currently in post-production.
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