The Rise of the Michael Jackson Biopic
The biographical film about Michael Jackson, titled Michael, has seen a significant boost in sales despite receiving mixed reviews from critics. Its influence is now extending to the UK Album Charts, where several of Jackson’s classic albums are making a notable comeback.
The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua and released on Tuesday (21 April), features Jafaar Jackson, the King of Pop’s nephew, in the lead role. It achieved a global box office success of $217 million (£160 million) during its opening weekend. This financial success has translated into a resurgence in the music charts, with multiple of Jackson’s albums expected to enter the Top 40 in the upcoming album chart.
On Monday (27 April), the soundtrack album Michael: Songs From The Motion Picture was ranked fourth in the charts. Jackson’s 2003 compilation Number Ones is at No 7, while his iconic 1982 album Thriller is at 18 and 1987’s Bad is at 22. The official chart for the week will be announced on Friday (1 May). In the previous week’s chart, The Essential from 2005 reached No 5.
Despite being criticized by many in the media, Michael has become a major box office hit, even setting a new record for music biopics during its opening weekend. However, the film has faced backlash for not addressing the allegations of child abuse that Jackson faced throughout his career.
Controversies Surrounding the Film’s Narrative
Initially, the film was intended to explore Jackson’s personal struggles and creative genius. Early press releases suggested it would open in 1993, when Jackson first faced accusations of child sex abuse. Jackson denied all the claims made against him during his lifetime.
However, a report by Variety in April revealed that the film underwent 22 days of costly reshoots last summer to remove any references to the allegations of child molestation against Jackson. Instead of showing the impact of the scandal on Jackson’s life, the film ends with him at the peak of his fame during the Bad tour.
This change in the narrative reportedly happened after attorneys for the Jackson estate discovered a clause in a settlement with Jordan Chandler, one of Jackson’s accusers in 1993, which stated he could not be depicted or mentioned in any film.
In a one-star review of Michael, The Independent’s critic Clarisse Loughrey wrote: “The draw of Michael, Graham King’s turn at the life of the King of Pop, isn’t the desire to understand Jackson as a person or as an artist, or to grapple with the weight of his legacy as one of the most pivotal cultural figures of the 20th century. It exists to be consumed as an act of allegiance, as proof of fandom.”
Defending the Film’s Perspective
Colman Domingo, who plays Joe Jackson in the film, defended Michael from accusations that it “whitewashed” part of Jackson’s legacy. He argued that the film covers Jackson’s life from the 1960s to 1988, stating, “We centre it on the makings of Michael. It’s an intimate portrait of who Michael is.”
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