Leaving Neverland director slams Michael Jackson biopic

Dan Reed, director of the widely acclaimed, consistently disturbing and inevitably controversial HBO documentary Leaving Neverland, is lashing out against the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, saying it will “glorify a man who raped children.”

Reed challenged the filmmakers of Michael–the likely targets being writer John Logan, director Antoine Fuqua and producer Graham King–in an op-ed piece for The Guardian, questioning how they would handle not just the sexual abuse cases, but the more graphic elements. “To the film-makers, I say: how will you represent the moment when Jackson, a grown man in his 30s, takes a child by the hand and leads him into that bedroom? How will you depict what happens next?” He added, “By sidestepping the question of Jackson’s predilection for sleeping with young boys, you are broadcasting a message to millions of survivors of child sexual abuse. That message is: if a paedophile is rich and popular enough, society will forgive him.”

Reed also said of the Michael Jackson biopic, “What the total absence of outrage accompanying the announcement of this movie tells us is that Jackson’s seduction is still a living force, operating from beyond the grave. It seems that the press, his fans and the vast older demographic who grew up loving Jackson are willing to set aside his unhealthy relationship with children and just go along with the music.”

Leaving Neverland, which put a damning spotlight on the accusations against Michael Jackson regarding the sexual abuse of two young boys, is a difficult but important watch. While Jackson is the spotlight figure, it also examines how powerful and rich people can get away with abuse and violence due to their fame. Dan Reed and company faced backlash from various parties for being one-sided and not involving other members of the Jackson family.

The upcoming Michael Jackson biopic will star the King of Pop’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson. Unlike Leaving Neverland, the singer’s estate will be involved in the project.

What do you think of Dan Reed’s remarks about the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic? Will the movie be a biased account of the pop singer’s life? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.