The biopic about Michael Jackson will not mention allegations of sexual abuse of minors.

1. What happened?

The biopic about Michael Jackson titled Michael, expected to be released in 2025, is currently under criticism for ignoring allegations about the King of Pop’s dark past.

Filmmaker Dan Reed, director of the documentary Leaving Neverland, said that Michael was “whitewashing” the late singer’s life . Leaving Neverland, released in 2019, revealed important evidence about Michael Jackson’s pedophilia accusations.

2. Why is the movie Michael notable?

Michael is not the first work to adapt the life of Michael Jackson. In early 2022, the musical MJ: The Musical had its “debut” on Broadway.

Jaafar Jackson in Michael | Source: Instagram

However, Michael is being promoted as the most authoritative biographical version of Michael Jackson’s life. The film is directed by Antoine Fuqua ( Training Day, The Equalizer) and written by John Logan, a three-time Oscar nominee for Hugo, The Aviator and The Gladiator.

Every press release for the film promises Michael is a “truthful portrait” of the King of Pop, recreating MJ’s entire memorable career from the time of the Jackson 5 group until his death. The film has the participation of the Jackson family as producers, and Jaafar Jackson – Michael’s nephew – will play the late singer.

Michael is expected to debut on April 18, 2025.

3. What are the allegations regarding Michael Jackson?

Michael will not mention the allegations about the late singer using his fame to lure many minors into sexual acts.

The first allegation occurred in 1993, when a Los Angeles screenwriter claimed that his 13-year-old son had been sexually abused by Michael Jackson. A series of subsequent accusations, both of pedophilia and drug administration to minors, led to a trial in 2005.

Michael Jackson goes to trial in 2005 | Source: Esquire

Michael Jackson was acquitted, and always maintained that he was innocent. But 10 years after Michael Jackson’s death, the documentary Leaving Neverland has revealed a series of important evidence, especially the detailed testimony of two victims, Wade Robson and James Safechuck.

The film was highly appreciated by critics, won an Emmy Award and created a wave of public opinion against Michael Jackson.

4. How was the movie Michael criticized?

In a recent interview with The Sunday Times, Leaving Neverland director Dan Reed said he had read Michael’s draft script, and revealed that the film will absolutely not mention allegations of sexual abuse. sex. Reed believes this is an act of “whitewashing”.

“[This film] is an attempt to refute the allegations, and it contains lies.” – Reed said. “It seems that the press, fans and a large part of the older audience who once loved Jackson are deliberately ignoring his toxic relationship with children, to continue to enjoy music.”

Director Dan Reed (center) with the two main characters of Leaving Neverland | Source: Deadline

Not only Michael Jackson but his family also firmly maintain the view that the late singer is innocent. So for them, the most accurate version of his biography is the one that shows his innocence. It is known that the Jackson family is not only the producer of the film, but also plays the role of advisor and is always present at Michael’s filming set.

5. Current status of biographical films about musical artists?

It is impossible to give a definite answer about Michael Jackson’s innocence, and it is also impossible to confirm whether the movie Michael really hides the truth.

But fictionalizing stories is not a new phenomenon in biographical films, especially biographical works about musical artists. The reason for this situation is largely due to the intervention of those artists themselves.

Bohemian Rhapsody , a biopic about Queen, has also been criticized for “rewriting” the band’s story. The film portrays Freddie Mercury as a selfish “playboy” who always parties and drinks while the other members live modestly. Mercury later caused Queen to disband because he left to sing on his own.

But the truth is that Queen never disbanded, and Mercury wasn’t the first to go solo. These details are likely to be changed according to the wishes of two members Brian May and Roger Taylor, who act as consultants for the film.

Source: The Movie Database

Straight Outta Compton about the hip-hop group NWA was also criticized by fans for its inaccuracies. The film ignores the accusations against Dr. Dre about violence against women, and completely misrepresented Eazy-E’s story by suggesting he was bankrupt before his death, even though that was not the case.

In addition to Eazy-E, the four surviving members of NWA all served as producers or consultants on the film.