Duvernay will direct Prince documentary
Ava Duvernay will direct a multipart documentary about late pop legend Prince for Netflix.
The “Selma” and “A Wrinkle In Time” director will be supported by the musician’s estate on the project, using archival footage and previously unreleased material from the singer-songwriter’s archives spanning his entire life, The Times has confirmed.
“Prince was a genius, a joy and a jolt to the senses. He was like no other. He shattered preconceived notions, smashed boundaries, and shared his heart through his music,” the filmmaker wrote in a social media post Tuesday, confirming earlier reports that she had signed on to the project.
“The only way I know how to make this film is with love and great care. I’m honored to do so and grateful,” she added.
According to Deadline, Prince reached out to the “Queen Sugar” creator about working together before his unexpected death in 2016. Over the past several months, Duvernay, editor Spencer Averick and other members of her production team have repeatedly visited the late artist’s Paisley Park home and studios in Minnesota, the website reported.
The project marks Duvernay’s second documentary for the streaming giant, following her Oscar-nominated 2016 doc, “The 13th,” about how modern-day prison overpopulation has its roots in the Constitution. The film won two Primetime Emmy Awards.
Duvernay is also working on the Netflix miniseries “Central Park Five,” a four-part drama about the Harlem teenagers who were wrongly convicted of raping a jogger, and a big-screen adaptation of Jack Kirby’s “The New Gods” for Warner Bros. and DC.