The scale of Michael’s stardom in the 1980s onward set the precedent for larger-than-life pop exports. How does the film relay that Michael’s meteoric rise was not just a personal accomplishment but a testament to Black artistry — the ability for Black artists to pierce pop culture and international audiences?
Jaafar Jackson: I wanted to really dive into who Michael really was behind closed doors. It’s that intimate side of him dealing with his creative ideas, struggling to gain independence from his family and really carve out his solo moment. It was very important for me to help inform those moments. Like, for “Thriller,” I kept asking myself what he’d be feeling during that time, creating that album, or even shooting the music video. I think having access to a lot of his writings, like I said earlier, helped me tremendously to create a timeline of how he was feeling in 1979, or what he wanted to achieve in 1985 after Thriller. He was so specific. He knew exactly what he wanted to do. He knew exactly the people he wanted to work with.
Antoine Fuqua: He would collect information.
Jaafar Jackson: He was also a marketing genius.
Antoine Fuqua: He used to call himself a scientist. He made it clear you have to study everything.
Jaafar Jackson: Dissect.
Antoine Fuqua: Yes, dissect. But remember, Michael is one of the last entertainers that truly understood showmanship. I mean, even in his everyday life, he still wore the outfits with the sparkles on it. So when Michael Jackson showed up, it was a whole show. It wasn’t like jeans and flip flops. He was this character when you saw him out in the world. He understood spectacle. Showmanship he understood. Mystery he understood. And that’s unfortunately a dying skillset for a lot of artists.
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