The conversation around the upcoming “Michael” biopic arrives alongside renewed scrutiny of Michael Jackson’s legacy, but one of the most prominent voices from that debate suggests the cultural reaction has remained largely unchanged.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Dan Reed addressed the impact of his documentary “Leaving Neverland” and the audience response that followed.
A Debate That Didn’t Shift the Audience
Reed pointed to a disconnect between expectations and reality after the release of his production, which centered on accounts brought forward by Wade Robson and James Safechuck against the pop star. Asked what it meant that Michael Jackson’s stature not only endured but continued to grow, his response was blunt: “People just don’t care.”
The director also maintained that the central claims presented in the documentary have not been meaningfully contested, while acknowledging the broader online discourse that followed. “None of the allegations in Leaving Neverland have been seriously challenged, right? But there was enough noise online from those simplistic debunking [videos] that people found it easy to give themselves permission to like Michael Jackson’s music again, if they ever stopped liking it.”
Reed then framed the situation as one driven largely by enduring attachment to the music itself. “I think a lot of people just love his music and turn a deaf ear.”
His comments are about to be tested, as it has already been revealed that “Michael” neither mentions nor includes anything about Michael Jackson’s legal battles, instead ending with his 1988 Wembley Stadium performance during the Bad tour, a choice that has already been enough to spark criticism even ahead of its release.
