Ava DuVernay, the director of civil-rights drama Selma, sci-fi epic A Wrinkle in Time, and prison documentary 13th, is to helm a documentary about the life of Prince.

Produced with Netflix, the multi-part documentary will cover the entire life of the late funk musician, and is being made with the cooperation of Prince’s estate, which is giving DuVernay access to his archive.

“Prince was a genius and a joy and a jolt to the senses,” DuVernay told Deadline. “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.”

DuVernay began her directorial career with music documentaries – This Is the Life and My Mic Sounds Nice both explored underground hip-hop. She is also working on Central Park Five, a four-part TV series about the 1989 case in which five men of colour were wrongly convicted for the assault and rape of a woman jogging in Central Park, New York. Also in development is her movie adaptation of DC comic-book series The New Gods.

In September, the first material was released from Prince’s musical archive following his death in 2016. Piano and a Microphone 1983, an album of solo piano demos of songs, included Purple Rain and his cover of Joni Mitchell’s A Case of You.