But what was supposed to be a cordial get-together quickly became confrontational, said the person close to Mrs. Clinton, who was briefed on the meeting. Mr. Ferguson aggressively promoted his résumé — which included the documentary “Inside Job” about Wall Street’s role in the 2008 financial crisis, and a 2007 film, “No End In Sight,” about the American occupation of Iraq. (Mrs. Clinton has strong support on Wall Street, and as a senator in 2002 she voted to authorize the use of force in Iraq.)

Mr. Merrill had not seen Mr. Ferguson’s films, but expressed skepticism about his intentions after he complained to Mr. Merrill that Clinton aides had told potential sources not to cooperate with his documentary. Mr. Ferguson said he felt Mr. Merrill had “interrogated” him and was dismissing the project because of Mr. Ferguson’s history of tough coverage. Both men left the meeting feeling uneasy.

What followed was a three-month tug of war between Clinton aides and Mr. Ferguson, who had planned to explore Mrs. Clinton’s life and career from her days working at the Rose Law Firm in Little Rock, Ark.

On Monday, Mr. Ferguson abandoned the documentary and CNN said it would not find another filmmaker to continue the project. In a commentary posted on The Huffington Post, Mr. Ferguson said pressure from Clinton aides who did not want the film made became too intense. “I decided that I couldn’t make a film of which I would be proud,” he wrote. “And so I’m canceling.”

He declared his failure to win the access he needed “a victory for the Clintons, and for the money machines that both political parties have now become.” (Mr. Ferguson contributed more than $30,000 to the Obama Victory Fund in 2008, which supported Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.)

CNN declined to respond to questions about the Clinton team’s contact with the network. In a statement, it said, “We understand and respect” Mr. Ferguson’s decision not to move forward.

NBC, in a statement, said it canceled its mini-series “after reviewing and prioritizing our slate of movie/mini-series development.” Several NBC executives denied there had been any pressure from the Clinton side that affected the decision. Nor was the unhappiness of members of NBC’s News division a critical factor, they said.