Ezra Edelman

The film will do generational harm to Prince. What does that mean?

I do believe the irony is this film would be great for Prince. And I think it would serve the estate and its bottom line tremendously.

I do believe the irony is this film would be great for Prince. And I think it would serve the estate and its bottom line tremendously.

You know, what do you see when you visit Paisley Park? Oh, this is where a guy lived. But what you see is now a museum that's full of rooms that are named after albums. There are rooms that are full of his shoes. There are rooms that are full of his outfits. But there's really no mention of sex. There's really no mention of religion. There's a glossy...

You know, what do you see when you visit Paisley Park? Oh, this is where a guy lived. But what you see is now a museum that's full of rooms that are named after albums. There are rooms that are full of his shoes. There are rooms that are full of his outfits. But there's really no mention of sex. There's really no mention of religion. There's a glossy...

thing that's being promoted for monetary gain this image that we continually need to traffic in of this person who wore glitzy outfits and glitzy shoes and made all this work all which is true but like it's so much deeper his struggles between good and evil and himself this struggle that you see in the music and the art and then how it played out in his life is

thing that's being promoted for monetary gain this image that we continually need to traffic in of this person who wore glitzy outfits and glitzy shoes and made all this work all which is true but like it's so much deeper his struggles between good and evil and himself this struggle that you see in the music and the art and then how it played out in his life is

It's like, how can you not want to tell that story?

It's like, how can you not want to tell that story?

There's almost invariably, whatever people's responses are through the trajectory of this life and this story, they all come away being like, oh my God, I love this guy. I want to listen to more of his music. This is why I believe this is short-sighted.

There's almost invariably, whatever people's responses are through the trajectory of this life and this story, they all come away being like, oh my God, I love this guy. I want to listen to more of his music. This is why I believe this is short-sighted.

I believe that people can handle the truth and an honest portrayal of a brilliant artist and at times a flawed human.

I believe that people can handle the truth and an honest portrayal of a brilliant artist and at times a flawed human.

Exposed to the same level of scrutiny? for who they are and certainly on par with their white counterparts whose talent and accomplishments they match and or outdo. But at the same time, I reject the argument, first and foremost, because A, If I were making a film about David Bowie, I would set out to do the same exact thing that I did with Prince. Who was this person?

Exposed to the same level of scrutiny? for who they are and certainly on par with their white counterparts whose talent and accomplishments they match and or outdo. But at the same time, I reject the argument, first and foremost, because A, If I were making a film about David Bowie, I would set out to do the same exact thing that I did with Prince. Who was this person?

Why did he change characters? What was going on in his life at all those times? And was I sensitive, by the way, as a black man taking on a black subject, knowing that people might think, oh my God, why are you tearing this person down? But also, why is warts and all such a terrible concept? Why is it not okay to know about a human? Especially, again, we get to have it both ways.

Why did he change characters? What was going on in his life at all those times? And was I sensitive, by the way, as a black man taking on a black subject, knowing that people might think, oh my God, why are you tearing this person down? But also, why is warts and all such a terrible concept? Why is it not okay to know about a human? Especially, again, we get to have it both ways.

You just want to love his art but have him remain unexamined. But if we examine him and you maybe are going to appreciate that art that you love so much even more, You might appreciate the struggle. By the way, this guy got kicked out of his house when he was a teenager. He lived in the basement of his best friend. He created himself out of whole cloth.

You just want to love his art but have him remain unexamined. But if we examine him and you maybe are going to appreciate that art that you love so much even more, You might appreciate the struggle. By the way, this guy got kicked out of his house when he was a teenager. He lived in the basement of his best friend. He created himself out of whole cloth.

His will, his drive as a person, as an artist, the struggle he went through, that a guy, yeah, he happened to also be a genius, is unparalleled. That's also what the movie's about. Why can't we hold two truths together? It's not that hard. These things go together. His genius, by the way, would not have wrought Prince, would not have created Prince. Genius alone. No. Genius plus drive plus trauma.