Jaafar Jackson wants to change opinions about Michael Jackson
Actor Jaafar Jackson, who plays the role of Michael Jackson in the upcoming biopic “Michael”, has revealed his expectations for the new movie.
Banshaw Biz
Michael Jackson, portrayed in the new biopic Michael, is a saintly musical genius.
He is a precocious superstar, both encouraged and frightened by the harsh criticism of his megalomaniac father, Joseph.
He was a visionary and had a talent that at times he didn’t know what to do with, but he managed to turn it into eternal art in the form of the albums “Off the Wall”, “Bad” and the best-selling record of all time “Thriller”.
Michael represents the eternal Peter Pan with his sparkling voice and head-spinning dance moves, the animal lover who claims his only friends are his pets, and the philanthropist who comforts young burn victims at his bedside.
By ending the film circa 1987, during Jackson’s then-record-breaking “Bad” tour, producers allowed viewers to experience a more luminous version of Jackson. Even the epilogue card does not acknowledge the child molestation charges brought against him in subsequent years, nor does it acknowledge his death from an overdose of painkillers and sedatives in 2009.
The film was reportedly slated to deal with sexual abuse allegations until lawyers for Jackson’s estate discovered a legal settlement with then-13-year-old Jordan Chandler, the central figure in the 1993 lawsuit. This clause prohibited any mention or depiction of him in any film.
According to Variety, a source close to the film said, “Most of the third act was devoted to the scandal, but that final episode was scrapped along with references to child molestation accusations.” It was also reported that the original script included a scene in which investigators search Jackson’s Neverland Ranch for evidence.
The changes required reshoots from last year, and the original release date of “Michael” was pushed back from April 2025 to October 2025 and then to this spring.
Why we need to “return to the magic” of Michael Jackson
Does this matter to his followers?
Probably not, considering that Jackson has remained the highest-paid dead celebrity on Forbes magazine’s annual list for 13 of the 16 years since his death at age 50. Jackson topped Forbes’ 2025 list with $105 million in earnings, boosted by the success of the Cirque du Soleil show “Michael Jackson ONE,” which ran for 13 years in Las Vegas. Broadway’s “MJ: The Musical” has generated nearly $300 million in ticket sales since its 2022 premiere and expanded touring versions around the world.
J. Randy Taraborrelli, a Jackson historian and author of “Michael Jackson – Magic, Madness, and the Complete Story,” is among those who agree that “Michael” is ending without delving into the allegations that have dogged him since the first allegations in 1993.
“I think it’s a good idea to return to the magic of Michael Jackson, which has been unfairly obscured by all the allegations,” Taraborrelli says. “I covered[the 2005 sexual molestation trial]and sat behind Michael every day for a year and a half. I felt like the whole thing was so far-fetched and that he was so unfairly targeted. To portray that in a movie is to expect the public to interpret it the way you want. And that’s never going to happen, so why go there?”
A 1993 investigation resulted in a $23 million civil settlement, and a 2005 criminal trial ended with Jackson acquitted of all 14 child molestation charges.
Author and scholar Joe Vogel, who wrote Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson, spent years researching the book, which was published in 2011, and updated it in 2019.
To him, Jackson’s accusations are just that.
“These allegations are fundamentally different from other high-profile cases. If you think about Diddy or[Bill]Cosby or[Jeffrey]Epstein, there was an avalanche of evidence. Michael’s case was much more complicated,” Vogel said.
He added that he spoke to a variety of people around Jackson for his book, including producers, security guards, nannies, family members, etc. “Everyone, without a doubt, defended Michael, and that means something.”
Michael Jackson’s complicated history doesn’t taint box office numbers
Even before the abuse allegations against Jackson arose, the singer had been accused of being alien in the tabloids and the court of public opinion because of his appearance, his unusual lifestyle, which included sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber, and his kindness toward animals and children.
One aspect of Jackson’s personality is teeth Implicit in “Michael” is that his stunted emotional growth (presumed to be the result of his father’s abuse) is the basis for his kinship with his children.
Taraborrelli has known Jackson since he was a teenager and says it’s frustrating when Jackson’s critics dismiss his logical defense of the superstar. That’s another reason he agrees to keep “Michael” focused on the legend.
“It would be difficult to control the public’s interpretation. It would completely overshadow the genius that was Michael Jackson,” Taraborrelli says.
Neither Vogel nor Taraborrelli believe that Boffo’s expected box office success will be diminished if Jackson’s legacy is overshadowed. The film’s expected global opening weekend is in the $150 million range.
“There were question marks right after[2019HBOdocumentary]’Leaving Neverland,’ but it was also the peak of cancel culture,” Vogel said. “As people started to look into this allegation more closely, they[became more skeptical]and said, ‘Okay, this guy is long dead. I mean, there’s still controversy around Alfred Hitchcock, and people are still watching his movies.’
Jackson’s critics will no doubt continue to deny his accomplishments. But Taraborrelli believes the reason for unity should be revisiting the moment when Jackson and his music became a cultural phenomenon, and enlightening a new generation to his otherworldly nature as an entertainer.
“We need these kinds of films now more than ever,” he says. “This country is so damaged, we’re in such despair, and the anger on both sides is so strong, that any time we can get something that brings people together, that’s a huge plus. And who better to give us that than Michael Jackson?”
Contributor: Patrick Ryan
