Biopics are nothing new in the world of cinema. Some of them are spot on gold such as Malcolm X, Schindler’s List, and Goodfellas and some are just plain awful like Jobs and J. Edgar. So, what should come as no surprise is that the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, is finally getting his own biopic. The only thing we have to worry about is that the film will be brought to the theater by Bohemian Rhapsody producer, Graham King.
King has secured the rights to create the film from the Jackson Estate that will cover Michael Jackson’s complicated life and will feature the pop icon’s large catalog of hits. GK Films—owned by King—is tapping Oscar-nominated writer John Logan to pen the script. Logan’s writing credit includes Sam Mendes’s Skyfall, Martin Scorsese’s Hugo and The Aviator, and Ridley Scott’s Gladiator. It looks like the biopic might be in good hands after all.
There’s no word on which studio will jump in on the movie. The folks over at Deadline have stated that the film “isn’t intended to be sanitized rendering of Jackson’s life” and will be titled Michael.
It’s being reported that Michael Jackson’s biopic will expand his entire life. The stories of Jackson’s life have been documented in other media such as interviews, documentaries, and testimony from people who know the pop icon. The most recent documentary was the Emmy-winning HBO produced Leaving Neverland. That program involved the $100 million lawsuits with the Jackson estate.
The plan for Logan and King is to shape the script to the best of their ability and shop it around in the hopes that a studio will pick up. The two have worked together in the past on Hugo as well as Gore Verbinski’s Rango.
We’ll just have to wait and see what comes of the project and if it can fully get off the ground. Hopefully, they can find the right actor to best showcase the spirit and energy that Michael Jackson was known for.