The stories and rumours surrounding Michael Jackson's public and private life has been a tabloid subject for many, many years.
However, it's only recently enough that filmmakers are trying to tackle his life and examine it, but it seems as though Michael Jackson's estate are keen to keep the mystique surrounding him. In a statement released to media yesterday evening, the estate firmly knocked back two upcoming biopics - one from Lifetime and the other from Netflix - as unsanctioned.
"To clear up any confusion or misperceptions about unsanctioned Michael Jackson projects currently in the news – including a Lifetime television movie and an animated film script recently purchased by Netflix – the Estate of Michael Jackson does not license or permit the use of any rights it owns, including to Michael's music, images, video and films, for use in unauthorized works seeking to exploit Michael's legacy."
It's hard to know exactly how this is going to affect both films, as it's unlikely that neither were planning on using music from his career. Whatever about the Netflix one, Lifetime's biopics often revel in their cheapness and chintziness so hearing any kind of licensed music seemed unlikely.
Bubbles - the stop-motion animated film directed by Thor: Ragnarok's Taika Waititi, which was recently purchased by Netflix - is a different kettle of fish. The premise for that story is telling the life of Jackson through the eyes of his pet monkey and companion, so it's hard to know how they're going to approach it.
Whether the Estate of Michael Jackson sanctions it or not doesn't matter; he's a public figure and they can say what they want as long as it isn't slanderous. That said, if there's something in either film that they don't like, they could potentially bring a suit against either Lifetime or Netflix to prevent its release.
