The King of Pop returns this month, but he’s had a makeover of sorts.
“Michael,” Hollywood’s definitive take on the late Michael Jackson’s life and career, could be the next biopic blockbuster. The subject matter speaks for itself.
Jackson’s rise from child superstar to the biggest musical talent on the globe is tailor-made for the big screen. And those chart-topping tunes haven’t aged a day.
Box office soothsayers predict the film could open stateside at north of $80 million. It’s no secret as to why.
- The music
- The moves
- The memories
- The videos
- The unsettling allegations that hounded him over the last 15 years of his life
A new report shares a spoiler of sorts regarding the biopic. The film, which may have a sequel if the box office gods shine on the project, leaves out the disturbing allegations that Jackson sexually molested children. Jackson, who died in 2009 at the age of 50, maintained he was innocent.
That wasn’t the original plan, though.
The April 24 release was slated to begin in 1993, when Jackson was first accused of sexually inappropriate contact with a minor.
Not anymore.
Those moments, and others allegedly shot for the movie, didn’t make the final cut, according to Variety. Nor did other problematic chapters of his life.
But the sequence with investigators who arrive at Neverland Ranch to search for evidence is one of many that were left on the cutting room floor. “Michael,” which Lionsgate will release in the United States on April 24, was supposed to explore the impact of the allegations on Jackson’s life, with much of its third act devoted to the scandal. But that finale was scrapped, along with any mention of the child molestation accusations, according to sources with knowledge of the production.
Why?
Variety ticks off two reasons. One, recent Jackson projects have done something similar, and the public outcry has been limited or non-existent.
Two, the legalese tied to the movie helped make this sanitized version possible.
The third, unofficial reason? Team Jackson had a heavy hand in the production and is invested in the film’s financial future. And the King of Pop’s, too.
Will the public cry foul or marinate in the memories? Those box office predictions suggest the latter.
It’s still part of a disturbing pop culture trend. Similar projects, from documentaries to narrative features, are coming our way with the subjects directly or indirectly pulling the strings.
In the case of 2019’s “Rocketman,” Elton John allowed for some of his less positive attributes to get their rightful closeup. He didn’t want a censored version of his life on screen.
More recently, documentaries like “Becoming” (Michelle Obama) and “Melania” (Trump) had the subjects as key producers in the film. No warts. No flaws. No problem.
They’ll get left on the cutting room floor.
We may never know the truth behind the Jackson allegations. Even a damning documentary highlighting the allegations from two self-described victims had plenty of naysayers.
“Michael” may help us collectively memory hole the sordid accusations. That’s showbiz, alas.
