EXCLUSIVE There will be an official Michael Jackson biopic. It’s coming from Lions Gate, produced by Graham King with a John Logan screenplay. It will be called “Michael.”
The Michael Jackson estate will coproduce the film which doesn’t have a director yet.
The good news for Jackson fans is that King, who produced “Bohemian Rhapsody,” about Queen, is a Michael Jackson fan. He has done five years of research about Jackson and does not believe he the accusations of pedophilia. So the movie will not be a white wash but it will be clear eyed in its approach.
I had a long talk with King about this last week after the premiere on Broadway of “MJ The Michael Jackson Musical.” He sat with the John Branca, who runs the Estate. They are on the same page. The movie is not based on the musical and will go beyond 1992 to the end of Michael’s life in 2009. (It could really be a miniseries.)
Logan is a three-time Oscar® nominee. King and Logan previously collaborated on Martin Scorsese’s “The Aviator.” Logan also wrote Ridley Scott’s Best Picture winner “Gladiator.”
King is a busy guy these days. He’s also producing the official Bee Gees biopic (my guess probably called “Staying Alive”) and toying with bringing “Bohemian Rhapsody” to Broadway based on the hit movie.
