Courtney Love won't have editorial control over the new Kurt Cobain biopic, but the widow of the Nirvana frontman is not out of the picture. It couldn't have been made without her, says the director.

HBO will release a new, authorized documentary about the Nirvana singer called Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck next year. Frances Bean, Kurt Cobain's daughter, is an executive producer on the film, but Courtney Love isn't named in the press packs.

This led to much speculation that Courtney Love was frozen out of the Kurt Cobain biopic after director Brett Morgen refused to give her editorial control of the project.

In a statement, Brett Morgen, who is directing the movie said "Courtney Love first came to me with the idea for Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck in 2007. In granting me access to his possessions, Courtney gave me permission to use the items in any manner I deemed appropriate for the film. She never asked for any editorial involvement."

Frances Bean Cobain worked closely with Morgen on the documentary, but Love has no editorial control.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, director Brett Morgen believe that because Love was a subject in the film, it would be best if she wasn't given an editorial role.

"She gave me the keys to this kingdom and final cut of the film," director Morgen told The Hollywood Reporter.

Love reached out to Morgen about the documentary in 2007 because she loved his work on the Robert Evans documentary The Kid Stays in the Picture. As work on the Nirvana documentary continued Morgen began working more closely with Cobain and Love's daughter, who gave Morgen access to her archive of Cobain's effects, too.

According to THR, Morgen isn't sure whether Love will even get to see the film

Here is Morgen's full statement: "Courtney Love first came to me with the idea for Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck in 2007. She was hoping to make a film that revealed a deeper understanding of Kurt than had been depicted in the media. While several parties control rights to Kurt's music, Courtney and her daughter, are the sole rights holders to Kurt's belongings, which are used quite readily throughout the film. In granting me access to his possessions, Courtney gave me permission to use the items in any manner I deemed appropriate for the film. She never asked for any editorial involvement. In today's age, and particularly when making a film on a public figure, it is virtually unheard of to grant this kind of access to a filmmaker. And for that I will always be grateful.

"Any suggestion that Courtney was denied editorial involvement couldn't be further from the truth. It was her idea to let me have control. This film would not exist today without the support of Courtney Love, Frances Bean Cobain and Wendy O'Connor.

"The trust that has been invested in me by Courtney, Frances, and Kurt's immediate family has been crucial in allowing me to paint a portrait of Kurt that is both honest, unflinching, empathetic, and effecting. I look forward to sharing this film with audiences around the world in 2015."

HBO's upcoming documentary about Kurt Cobain is set to air in 2015. It will premiere in January at Sundance, followed by small- and big-screen releases in 2015.