Lionsgate is developing a biopic about Michael Jackson. According to Deadline, Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) will direct the upcoming film Michael, which is set to begin production later this year.
Graham King, the man behind Oscar-winning films like Bohemian Rhapsody and The Departed, will produce the film. GK Films will produce alongside Jackson’s estate co-executors, John Branca and John McClain.
The film will focus on the late legend’s musical achievements, from his days with the Jackson 5 to becoming the world’s biggest music star. It will also “deal squarely with the pedophile accusations that dogged his later years up to his death in 2009 at age 50,” according to the report.
Fuqua, who directed Will Smith’s Emancipation, is currently finishing The Equalizer 3 with Denzel Washington before moving on to Michael.
Producers are hoping that Michael will become a global box office smash like Bohemian Rhapsody, which grossed over $900 million worldwide.
“Antoine is a perceptive and powerful filmmaker, and we feel very fortunate that he has chosen Michael as his next project,” Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Joe Drake said. “His visionary storytelling abilities and dedication to his craft will make Michael a memorable film.”
Fuqua, who began his career directing music videos for Prince, Lil Wayne, and Toni Braxton, attributes his success to the King of Pop.
“My first films were music videos, and I still feel that combining film and music is a deep part of who I am,” Fuqua said. “For me, there is no artist with the power, the charisma, and the sheer musical genius of Michael Jackson. I was inspired to make music videos after seeing his work – he was the first Black artist to have heavy rotation on MTV. His music and those images are part of my worldview, and the opportunity to tell his story alongside his music on the big screen was irresistible.”
