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The Official 'Michael' Bio-Pic Thread

The New Michael Jackson Movie Is Stirring Major Controversy. Here's Why.

A costly rewrite, legal complications, and fierce criticism have turned Michael into one of the year’s most contentious films.

www.esquire.com

The New Michael Jackson Movie Is Stirring Major Controversy. Here's Why.

A costly rewrite, legal complications, and fierce criticism have turned 'Michael' into one of the year’s most contentious films.
www.esquire.com www.esquire.com
 
don’t know if this was posted before, but here’s lionsgate’s official collector’s edition up for preorder: https://lionsgatelimited.com/produc...1&_sid=823a2df22&_ss=r&variant=53005155369071
personally thought the set looks awesome, i liked the movie so i didn’t mind. bought it as soon as i heard about it.
edit: it does mention that the digital copy would only work in the U.S., and I have no idea if it would ship worldwide, for anyone outside the U.S.
 
Funnily enough I actually think Jaafar looked the least like Michael during the Thriller scenes and when him and Bill go for a drive (not a spoiler it's in the trailer) the close ups actually took me out the film, so I'm glad they reduced the Thriller scenes.

I think he looked most like Michael during the hospital scene, when he's in the hospital bed and turns away from his mother, I swear I was looking at the real Michael Jackson himself
 
webslinger said:
don’t know if this was posted before, but here’s lionsgate’s official collector’s edition up for preorder: https://lionsgatelimited.com/produc...1&_sid=823a2df22&_ss=r&variant=53005155369071
personally thought the set looks awesome, i liked the movie so i didn’t mind. bought it as soon as i heard about it.
edit: it does mention that the digital copy would only work in the U.S., and I have no idea if it would ship worldwide, for anyone outside the U.S.
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That looks great
Michael_ProductShots_1536x1920_8.webp
 
Annita said:

​

Global Box Office
@GlobalBoxOffice



‘MICHAEL’ CROSSED $100M THIS FRIDAY, BREAKING DOMESTIC AND GLOBAL RECORDS

In a historic milestone for the biopic genre, the long-awaited Michael Jackson film has set new records both domestically and internationally. This Friday, it became the first biopic in history to hit $100 million worldwide on its domestic opening day.
Domestically, Michael opening day delivered an even more impressive feat by earning over $40 million, the highest-grossing opening day ever for a biopic. This figure (which includes previews) eclipses the domestic opening day of every other biopic ever released.
• Oppenheimer — $33 million on its opening day in 2023;
• The Passion of the Christ — (dir. Mel Gibson): $26.6 million on its Wednesday opening day 2004;
• Straight Outta Compton (N.W.A. biopic): $24.2 million on Friday in 2015.;
• Bohemian Rhapsody — $18 million on its opening day in 2018.
Lionsgate/Universal
The strong performance highlights Michael’s ability to connect with both longtime fans of Michael Jackson and a new generation of moviegoers drawn to the larger-than-life story of one of music’s most iconic figures.

Global Box Office organization was the first one to predict it:​

Remember, while legacy media and major outlets were reporting lowball industry numbers, which vastly underestimated the global impact of Michael Jackson’s career, we were the first ones to call a global opening at
$200M
+! And this is happening.
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This is the best revenge against the media and the guilters.
 
ChanceToDance said:
The more we learn about the movie's original vision it makes me sad, this movie was supposed to be so much more man...
https://twitter.com/x/status/2048077234733306065
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GUYS

The biopic already broke all the records and the weekend isn't over.

We are most definitely getting a part 2. And even more than that, A lot of this footage that was cut will probably be used in flashback scenes. And even more than that Lionsgate just got a strong confirmation that the false allegations will not destroy their profits, which means they might be willing to actually show Michael side of the story in part 2 and expose the extortion. If the estate and prince back off as producers, theres nothing stopping graham from telling the story.

Can you guys please stop the complaining? Where is the joy?

Even if you didn't love the movie, be happy that the media and the false accusers failed once again to destroy Michael's legacy.

We should all be celebrating.
 
Full review soon.. rating 7/10 after seeing original version once. Could have been much better. But also worse.

I wish there would be a fact-based streaming series with like min. 10 parts so everything could be explained without rushing through

Anyway if there is a part 2 and Paris is against this Project: are they even allowed to portray her without her agreement? If not maybe they will end before her birth? Not talking about his kids or only Prince and Blanket would be impossible. Already so strange not having Janet and Rebbie in the movie's Jacksons house.
 
kelley said:
GUYS

The biopic already broke all the records and the weekend isn't over.
We are most definitely getting a part 2. And even more than that, A lot of this footage that was cut will probably be used in flashback scenes. And even more than that Lionsgate just got a strong confirmation that the false allegations will not destroy their profits, which means they might be willing to actually show Michael side of the story in part 2 and expose the extortion. If the estate and prince back off as producers, theres nothing stopping graham from telling the story.

Can you guys please stop the complaining? Where is the joy?

Even if you didn't love the movie, be happy that the media and the false accusers failed once again to destroy Michael's legacy.

We should all be celebrating.
Click to expand...

I totally agree that Lionsgate have gotten a solid confirmation that they can make more films without risking losing money on them because of the allegations controversy.. However, if the Estate and Prince back off they can not use Michael Jacksons music in the movie. I am pretty sure that they Estate cant allow a part 2 to use his music while still claim they have nothing to do with the production etc.

How do you even make the film as good if the Estate and Prince is not involved? I agree that it would be amazing if it could be resolved that way but I dont believe Branca ever would hand over such a massive project to Lionsgate alone :) And is it really that simple to go around the settlement? That you can just hand over all material to a 3rd party and they record, produce and deliver on screen?

It did work with Ray Chandlers book it seems, as all that information came from Evan. So in theory it could be a possibility! but it would take a lot of balls and courage for the Estate to hand over handling of child molestation allegations on the big screen to someone else! Because the Estate cant be involved in any capacity as it would breach the agreement and possibly prevent a part 2 from being distributed at all if they are trying to work around that.
 
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Just came back from re-watching the film, this time in IMAX.




I went in with a different mindset and I can say that it's definitely good, not great but good.

I've noticed that they used a lot of humor and the audience around me was giggling which is a good thing imo.

I still think that they should have included some Jacksons moments in the studio or their creative process as we know it's a crucial part for Michael's solo career. They should also have included the way Michael met Quincy when he was still a child as he only appears all of a sudden during Off The Wall sessions.

I still didn't like Thriller scenes, the CGI was not good at all in there or maybe Thriller is just too iconic to be recreated. Human Nature with Wembley audio, I think?, still irritated me but the general audience doesn't even know it at all so it's forgivable, still, as a huge fan, it's irritating.

I changed my mind on the Beat It scenes, it wasn't so bad, at least it gave a reason why Michael chose to do the video that way.

Branca got another **** off from me obviously. Motown 25 scene was actually very good but they should have built up to it a bit more as it really was super iconic at the time. I realised that Frank Di Leo was shown for like 2 secs and that's it?


Bad performance was good, not gonna lie, Jaafar really worked his bum off to match Michael's way of dancing, his mannerism, his laugh, just the way he was and I'm glad he did really good.

I hope they get a bit deeper into Michael's feelings on part 2, they did try in this but not enough. Michael had a three-dimensional personality, I know they can't show much, but he wasn't only all about Peter Pan.

Anyway I still can't wait for part 2. And yes in IMAX is absolutely so much better.
 
Lightbringer said:
I totally agree that Lionsgate have gotten a solid confirmation that they can make more films without risking losing money on them. However, if the Estate and Prince back off they can not use Michael Jacksons music in the movie. I am pretty sure that they Estate cant allow a part 2 to use his music while still claim they have nothing to do with the production etc.
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I'm pretty sure they can, they just have to ask for the rights to use the songs in the movie and the estate just has to say yes. Like whenever you watch a movie that uses songs from other artists, they didn't need to have the estate of each artist as producers of the movie to use the songs, they just asked and the estate agreed.
 
alexbism said:
I'm pretty sure they can, they just have to ask for the rights to use the songs in the movie and the estate just has to say yes. Like whenever you watch a movie that uses songs from other artists, they didn't need to have the estate of each artist as producers of the movie to use the songs, they just asked and the estate agreed.
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Yes, but in this case everyone knows that the only reason The Estate is abstaining from taking part is because of the settlement. If its that easy bypass the settlement its weird. But as I said as it worked with Evan Chandlers book it might work here. The question do the estate trust lionsgate with what would the most important film in the history of Michael Jackson and also give up all profits from part 2 except charging for the use of Michaels music?

Honestly, I do not see it happening although I would be thriller if it did! The suspense to part 2 would be insane in that case. Also it would even be possible to make a part mainly about the allegations and then release a part 3 as well. As I said before, I think the sky is the limit here if you have the right ambitions!
 
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Lightbringer said:
Yes, but in this case everyone knows that the only reason The Estate is abstaining from taking part is because of the settlement. If its that easy bypass the settlement it weird. But as I said as it worked with Evan Chandlers book it might work here. The question do the estate trust lionsgate with what would the most important film in the history of Michael Jackson and also give up all profits from part 2 except charing for the use of Michaels music?

Honestly, I do not see it happening although I would be thriller if it did! The suspense to part would be insane in that case. Also it would even possible to make part mainly about the allegations and then release a part 3 as well. As I said before, I think the sky is the limit her if you have the right ambitions!
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Bypassing the law can sometimes be very easy when you find the right loophole I guess, this could be just what's needed for it to work.
True that the Estate probably won't want to lose the profits from the movies, but at the same time, making MJ's public opinion better is also in their best interest as it would boost sales and streams for all his other products.
 
kelley said:
GUYS

The biopic already broke all the records and the weekend isn't over.

We are most definitely getting a part 2. And even more than that, A lot of this footage that was cut will probably be used in flashback scenes. And even more than that Lionsgate just got a strong confirmation that the false allegations will not destroy their profits, which means they might be willing to actually show Michael side of the story in part 2 and expose the extortion. If the estate and prince back off as producers, theres nothing stopping graham from telling the story.

Can you guys please stop the complaining? Where is the joy?

Even if you didn't love the movie, be happy that the media and the false accusers failed once again to destroy Michael's legacy.

We should all be celebrating.
Click to expand...
Agreed. The mood here is pretty somber. I don't get it. Fine if some didn't love it but come on. We know there were many legal issues and the entire third act had to be rewritten and re-shot. The fact that they even pulled off what they did with all the issues is a success to me. Regardless, they can't go into every single detail of his life in a 2 hour film. This is why I'm hoping there will be a part 2.

The film is turning out to be a success and that is great for MJ's legacy.

Tell me, who else but Michael could pull this off? He had so much working against him. Probably the worst reputation and pr of any celebrity over the last 30+ years (Maybe only OJ's rep is worse). The film was totally panned by critics in an effort to sabotage its success (I heard one critic outright say they wanted it to flop).

Michael still having the impact he does is absolutely amazing. We should celebrate that if nothing else.
 
Y'know what I didn't realize until just now?

In the 80s, Branca was the one who helped MJ secure the acquisition of the ATV music catalogue (including the Lennon/McCartney song copyrights). If anything, that's the one moment I would expect Branca's character to actually be important & meaningful, and yet it wasn't portrayed in the movie! How ironic...

I still booed him when he introduced himself in the movie. No disrespect to Miles Teller, he did well as a actor. I just hate the man he plays.
 
I just got back from seeing it. My initial, non-spoilery review: liked it, did not love it.

Now for the breakdown (spoilers ahead):

The bad
- Not enough footage of Michael in the studio. Was expecting a bit more of that. Like we barely see him working on the Thriller album and then it's suddenly out and it's like... wait, what?
- Timeline of events is a bit confusing, i.e. Michael adopts Bubbles around like 1980-81 but in real life he didn't adopt him until 1983. Also, how did he get the Beat It video going when he wasn't even done with the song?
- Some of the CG is pretty bad
- I wish there were more moments with Katherine and Michael talking. Like, we see them together in multiple scenes but they feel so short.

The good
- The acting is great! Jafaar looks and sounds so much like Michael it's crazy. Cast overall was fantastic.
- Was nice to hear some lesser known J5 songs in this
- The Human Nature performance during the Victory Tour was the best part of the movie
- Walter Yetnikoff calling the MTV guy and threatening to pull all the CBS Records artists off of there was great. Also, holy shit that was Mike Myers?!
- When Michael was in pain after the burn the editing in that scene was pretty good. Very intense.

The various bits
- Was surprised that they didn't show any of the stuff Michael and the brothers saw as kids that they should not have been seeing as kids. I guess they were trying to make this family friendly?
- I saw this on the largest screen possible at my theater. It's not an IMAX but it was pretty nice. Great sound and visuals.
- I wish my audience was as hyped as some of the ones I've seen on social media lol. But they did applaud at the end.
- Branca being in this movie did feel a bit "self-insert/circlejerk"-ish
- Did not get as emotional as I thought I would. Closest I got was after the burn when he's talking to the doctor about the treatment he'll have to get, and then in subsequent scenes when he's talking about the pain meds, and it starts to sink in "oh shit his life really changed here"

Overall I liked it! I'm not sure I'll see it in the theater again. If I do, I'll try to see it on an actual IMAX screen (though it's a bit of a drive to get to one).
 
Amaya said:
I just got back from seeing it. My initial, non-spoilery review: liked it, did not love it.

Now for the breakdown (spoilers ahead):

The bad
- Not enough footage of Michael in the studio. Was expecting a bit more of that. Like we barely see him working on the Thriller album and then it's suddenly out and it's like... wait, what?
- Timeline of events is a bit confusing, i.e. Michael adopts Bubbles around like 1980-81 but in real life he didn't adopt him until 1983. Also, how did he get the Beat It video going when he wasn't even done with the song?
- Some of the CG is pretty bad
- I wish there were more moments with Katherine and Michael talking. Like, we see them together in multiple scenes but they feel so short.

The good
- The acting is great! Jafaar looks and sounds so much like Michael it's crazy. Cast overall was fantastic.
- Was nice to hear some lesser known J5 songs in this
- The Human Nature performance during the Victory Tour was the best part of the movie
- Walter Yetnikoff calling the MTV guy and threatening to pull all the CBS Records artists off of there was great. Also, holy shit that was Mike Myers?!
- When Michael was in pain after the burn the editing in that scene was pretty good. Very intense.

The various bits
- Was surprised that they didn't show any of the stuff Michael and the brothers saw as kids that they should not have been seeing as kids. I guess they were trying to make this family friendly?
- I saw this on the largest screen possible at my theater. It's not an IMAX but it was pretty nice. Great sound and visuals.
- I wish my audience was as hyped as some of the ones I've seen on social media lol. But they did applaud at the end.
- Branca being in this movie did feel a bit "self-insert/circlejerk"-ish
- Did not get as emotional as I thought I would. Closest I got was after the burn when he's talking to the doctor about the treatment he'll have to get, and then in subsequent scenes when he's talking about the pain meds, and it starts to sink in "oh shit his life really changed here"

Overall I liked it! I'm not sure I'll see it in the theater again. If I do, I'll try to see it on an actual IMAX screen (though it's a bit of a drive to get to one).
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I think we had a similar experience, although I will say I loved it. I set my expectations really low because I just couldn't believe that someone would be able to capture Michael's energy and have it come through but Jaafar knocked it out of the park. It's the Jackson magic that he has, I guess. I think the mouth was one of the biggest things for me. He has the smile. Human Nature was also my favourite part, I thought I was going to lose it. I wish I had been able to see it with fans because other people don't get it.

I made the decision before I walked in the cinema that I was going to have no expectations and just accept that it wasn't going to be an "honest" portrayal of his life or deep insight into who he was as a person and what he went through, or how the people around him really treated him. I felt as a celebration of him it did a lot right. I tensed up when Bubbles showed up because I remember that was such a big part of humiliating him in the press, making it out to be a "weird" relationship and an indictment of him as just a weirdo celebrity. But it was humanizing, he came through as a person who just didn't have friends and who loved and connected with animals.

I was really overwhelmed after watching it and wished I had someone to talk to who would get it. My partners came with me and they enjoyed it but not at all in the same way. It was very intense for me.

Also, hi everyone! Like Alyssa the film brought me back for the first time in over a decade.
 
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Idc what y'all say but that movie was fine. Sure, it was incorrect to some extent, yes it sugarcoated as wasn't as deep as I could've hoped, the acting I think was top-notch, Jaafar has a lot of talent and I don't know why so many people don't like him. Brought my mother to the edge of her seat and the performances were incredible!
 
Puggy1234 said:
Idc what y'all say but that movie was fine. Sure, it was incorrect to some extent, yes it sugarcoated as wasn't as deep as I could've hoped, the acting I think was top-notch, Jaafar has a lot of talent and I don't know why so many people don't like him. Brought my mother to the edge of her seat and the performances were incredible!
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but I don't know why after Motown 25 they made it so his "toes weren't aligned"??
 
kelley said:
GUYS

The biopic already broke all the records and the weekend isn't over.

We are most definitely getting a part 2. And even more than that, A lot of this footage that was cut will probably be used in flashback scenes. And even more than that Lionsgate just got a strong confirmation that the false allegations will not destroy their profits, which means they might be willing to actually show Michael side of the story in part 2 and expose the extortion. If the estate and prince back off as producers, theres nothing stopping graham from telling the story.

Can you guys please stop the complaining? Where is the joy?

Even if you didn't love the movie, be happy that the media and the false accusers failed once again to destroy Michael's legacy.

We should all be celebrating.
Click to expand...
If the Estate backs down, they cannot use any of Michael's music in the movie!!
 
kelley said:
GUYS

The biopic already broke all the records and the weekend isn't over.

We are most definitely getting a part 2. And even more than that, A lot of this footage that was cut will probably be used in flashback scenes. And even more than that Lionsgate just got a strong confirmation that the false allegations will not destroy their profits, which means they might be willing to actually show Michael side of the story in part 2 and expose the extortion. If the estate and prince back off as producers, theres nothing stopping graham from telling the story.

Can you guys please stop the complaining? Where is the joy?

Even if you didn't love the movie, be happy that the media and the false accusers failed once again to destroy Michael's legacy.

We should all be celebrating.
Click to expand...
EXACTLY

Just be glad we got a movie and that he's getting more popular
 
Galactus123 said:
Critic reviews are on their own websites or magazines. Rotten Tomatoes has a small summary but you need to click and go to their sites to read the whole thing: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/michael/reviews

I'm not sure how to get your review there if you are a professional critic. Rotten Tomatoes then calculates the score somehow based on all reviews.

The audience score that is 96% is by registered users. Anyone can make an account and leave a review.

Edit: The site does differentiate normal audience (anyone) and vefiried audience reviews (you need to prove that you have bought a ticket). Not sure how the difference affects the score.
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Thank you so much for explaining! ❣️
 
CanadaKBear said:
I hope those that saw the movie enjoyed it. I have yet to see it. I can't wait to!!!
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Same! As I really want to watch the original audio, I need to plan. Just found out that my local movie theatre (I don´t live in a huge town) has some dates where we can watch the original version, yay 🎉 One date is tonight, but I can´t make it today. It probably means I have to go watch it by myself, though ...
 
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