Michael Jackson is back to moonwalking, but after Springsteen’s failure, does a pop music CV still matter? | Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson’s voodoo classic Thriller ranked high on Billboard’s Hot 100 the week of November 15, giving the King of Pop, who died 16 years ago, a record for having had top 10 hits over six different decades. Meanwhile, Jackson also broke records with 116 million views in 24 hours for his new biopic Michael, due for release in April.

Millions of fans may be excited and ready for a Jackson biopic. For comparison, the trailer beat out Taylor Swift’s Eras tour preview and will join a parade of recent music biopics about Bruce Springsteen, Amy Winehouse, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley and Elton John. The most successful of all — the Freddie Mercury and Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody — earned nearly $1 billion at the box office.

But are moviegoers really ready for Jackson to return to their lives on the moon? It’s only been six years since Leaving Neverland, a Netflix documentary examining the claims of two men who claim they were abused as children by the singer, and nine years since another, Off the Wall, which examined his rise as an extraordinary solo performer.

Jackson, who was acquitted of all charges of child sexual abuse after a 14-week criminal trial in 2005, remains a powerful force, and his legacy is subject to opposing forces: one that celebrates his musical and showmanship talents, and another that praises them but warns against further celebration in light of the accusations against him. Jackson and his estate have always denied the allegations.

“I wouldn’t want to bet against people’s love of Michael Jackson,” says Dan Green, a professor of entertainment management at Carnegie Mellon University, pointing to Jackson’s hit Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas and the hit Broadway musical MJ.. “I think there will be a lot of interest around him and I expect him to do really well.”

The Jackson biopic stars Jafar Jackson, the singer’s nephew and Jermaine’s son, proving that the Jackson clan’s entertainment industry was nothing less than a family enterprise.

The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day), promises to be “the story of Michael Jackson’s life outside of music, tracing his journey from discovering his extraordinary talent as the leader of the Jackson Five, to a visionary artist whose creative ambition fueled his relentless quest to become the biggest artist in the world.”

Producer Graham King, who also produced Bohemian Rhapsody, told CinemaCon last year that he would give “the audience a movie they’ve never seen before. When you mention its name, everyone has an opinion.”

The release of the $150 million film was delayed when the filmmakers had to reshoot the final third of the film after a legal agreement with Jordan Chandler, one of Jackson’s accusers who reached an out-of-court settlement with the singer for $23 million in 1994, was challenged, rendering part of what had already been shot unusable.

It’s unclear how far Michael will go in addressing the allegations against Jackson, or how far he will go in addressing the impact of those allegations — he died in 2009 from poisoning with the anesthetic propofol he was given at night so he could sleep.

“I think we’re being asked to branch out,” Green says. “A lot of us are living in our own echo chambers, and we’re going to continue to plan our own aspects of it. The Jackson family isn’t doing it because they need a few extra dollars. They’re doing it because people still want to see this.”

Jeff Gumball, who manages rock legacies including the estates of Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin and Charlie Parker, and serves as an advisor to Jackson’s estate, notes that a theatrically released biopic is “the best possible way” to advance an artist’s cultural legacy — regardless of any profit or loss.

“Remember, we’re wearing a different hat to the filmmakers,” he said. “They’re looking to spend $20 million to make $40 million. We’re looking to attach a legacy for future generations. Even if the film doesn’t make any money theatrically, the buzz, talk and publicity generated is worth it.”

In that sense, the property manager or consultant’s job is to determine what made this artist or work popular in the culture in the first place and “bring it back into the pop culture conversation in a way that’s meaningful, credible, and authentic to people ages 11 to 30,” Jampol says. “Then they pick it up and the legacy moves forward. Remember, Light My Fire is a brand new song for a 12-year-old.”

He adds that Jackson’s fans are “connected, fanatical and extremely loyal. They still organize flash mobs to this day. Michael’s legacy was never about him being ‘cool’ per se; it was about his artistry and his connection with people. He was one of a kind, and he wore his heart on his sleeve.”

Ultimately, Jampol says, when managing an artist “with a lot of drama or accusations swirling” around him, a resume is still valuable.

“But what story does the director of a Michael Jackson biopic want to tell?” He asks. “And in telling this story, will it include any allegations, will it include his relationship with his father? Will it include his death, or his doctor Conrad Murray? I don’t know. We’ll find out.”