The lifetime network has just recently released yet another Michael Jackson Biopic that tells the story of the final years of the pop icon's life. The new film, titled "Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland," premiered yesterday, May 9, on Lifetime.
Through the eyes of those who were close to him
The brand new biopic is based on the 2014 book, titled "Remember the Time: Protecting Michael Jackson in His Final Days," which was written by two of Jackson's bodyguards. Bill Whitfield and Javon Beard were the King of Pop's close security detail since his acquittal of child molestation charges in 2005 up to his death in 2009.
The two claimed in the book that they were pretty much privy to Jackson's private family life and that the singer trusted them with more than just his safety.
Questioning its accuracy
Unlike other biopic and documentaries that celebrate Jackson's contributions to pop culture, Lifetime's film gives fans a look at the singer's darker years. Due to the lack of any other witnesses during Jackson's self-imposed isolation, the events portrayed in the film are somewhat subjective and highly contested by fans. Right after his acquittal, Jackson apparently kept his inner circle very limited. The bodyguards have claimed that they were actually a part of that inner circle and that they understood just how important loyalty and trust were to Jackson and his family.
In an interview with Beard and Whitfield, the former bodyguards explained that anything private that happened in the Jackson household was worth a lot of money to the press. For this very reason, the singer rarely trusted anyone with his private affairs. The bodyguards even claimed that they continued working for the pop star without pay at one point in time due to their loyalty.
Contested by the estate
Michael Jackson's estate recently released a statement in response to the new biopic. The statement, which was published by Billboard, reiterates that they did not give the documentary any license or permit to use any of the rights owned by the estate. This apparently includes music, images, films, and videos, that may be used to exploit Jackson's legacy.
The singer's estate was also not that pleased with the outcome of the biopic and it is still considered to be an unauthorized retrospective of Jackson's life. Lifetime has yet to issue a response to the estate's recent statement.The biopic chronicles the life of Jackson after the acquittal up to the conviction of Dr. Conrad Murray for involuntary manslaughter in 2016 due to his prescribing Jackson the anesthetic propofol as a sleeping aid. The medication was eventually found out to be the cause of Jackson's death.
