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Ava DuVernay to make Netflix documentary series on Prince

The Selma director promised to cover his life “with love.”

October 30, 2018

Ava DuVernay is to direct a new documentary about Prince's life and music. The film is being made with the cooperation of Prince's estate, who will give DuVernay access to the late artist's archive.

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DuVernay, whose credits include Selma, A Wrinkle In Time, and Netflix doc 13th, said she will make the multi-part documentary "with love." In a statement given to Deadline she said: “Prince was a genius and a joy and a jolt to the senses. He was like no other. He shattered every preconceived notion, smashed every boundary, shared everything in his heart through his music. The only way I know how to make this film is with love. And with great care. I’m honoured to do so and grateful for the opportunity entrusted to me by the estate.”

Early on in her career DuVernay made underground hip-hop documentaries This Is the Life and My Mic Sounds Nice. Her upcoming slate of projects includes a series on the Central Park Five for Netflix and a big screen adaptation of DC’s The New Gods.

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Last month saw the release of Prince’s Piano & A Microphone: 1983, the first in a series of posthumous releases by his estate. The nine track album consists of rehearsals committed to cassette tape in Prince's home studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota.