It’s no secret that Michael Jackson’s musical legacy hasn’t left, but he’s making a kind of comeback. Twelve years after Michael Jackson died, the Jackson business is on the upswing, with court victories that end legal crises, a Broadway production and Cirque du Soleil shows returning after pandemic pauses.
Recently, things looked bleak. A new round of child molestation allegations has been raised by the HBO documentary Leaving Neverland. Due to changes in the law, the long-dead lawsuits brought by the two men featured in the movie were revived. It was taking years for the estate’s appeal of a USD 700 million tax bill to be decided. John Branca, the entertainment lawyer who worked with Jackson through many of his biggest triumphs and serves as co-executor of his estate, told The Associated Press in an interview at his Beverly Hills home, ‘I was always optimistic. Michael inspired the planet and his music still does. There was never any doubt about that’.
The optimism was well-founded. Several court decisions followed. Several accusers’ lawsuits were dismissed in October. The other was thrown out in April. Tax case rulings in May resulted in dramatic reductions. Suddenly, the estate is nearly free of a dozen years of disputes. Therefore, Branca expects that in the next 18 months it will be taken out of probate court and put into a trust for Jackson’s three children, who are now all adults.
It’s time for the estate to turn its attention back to how Jackson is perceived around the world. The first priority is the revival of the Cirque du Soleil show, Michael Jackson: One at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Jackson’s birthday celebration at the park is scheduled for August 29. The park is scheduled to reopen on August 19 after being closed for nearly a year and a half due to a Coronavirus outbreak.
A Broadway production of MJ: The Musical will follow shortly thereafter, the first of several planned projects. In addition to the delay of well over a year, which has happened for all of Broadway, Branca said he is ‘excited’ about MJ: The Musical and shared new details. ‘It’s not a chronological depiction of Michael’s life,’ he said. ‘It’s more impressionistic, inspired by Michael’s life and his music. It takes place as Michael is preparing for a tour and MTV wants to get an interview. Michael’s very press-shy, and slowly but surely as they develop a relationship begins to talk about different parts of his life that then get enacted in the show’.
The show’s book was written by Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage. Christopher Wheeldon directs and choreographs the production. Newcomer Myles Frost will play Jackson after Ephraim Sykes quit to film a movie. In September, rehearsals resume, and the previews will take place in December. Branca is proud of the diversity the show will bring to the stage. Branca said, ‘The cast is obviously largely Black, In an era where that’s sorely wanted on Broadway’. Branca has lingering bitterness towards director Dan Reed’s Leaving Neverland and American media outlets who don’t have the time or resources to determine what is and isn’t true.
Thus, the estate’s last lingering lawsuit, now in private arbitration, is one it brought itself, and one Branca fought hard to have filed against HBO over the documentary. ‘I was angry at HBO and Dan Reed and I am still angry because here’s the thing: You can say whatever you want about someone who is dead. It’s not about protecting themselves,’ Branca said. The two men featured in the documentary are appealing their dismissals. According to HBO, Leaving Neverland is an important and valid piece of documentary journalism.
Read more: U.S. company to invest $684 million in Tamil Nadu
In an ironic twist, the estate was successful in its tax case in part because the judge believed Jackson’s image and likeness had been severely diminished by allegations of child molestation at the time of his death, despite his 2005 acquittal. A far smaller bill is being calculated now due to the estate’s overall victory.
Jackson has remained the top-earning deceased celebrity every year since his death at age 50 from a lethal dose of propofol under the guidance of Branca and his more behind-the-scenes co-executor John McClain. The way Jackson’s musical legacy resonates through modern artists is perhaps his greatest legacy. ‘Kanye West, Drake, Beyonce, Usher, Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, they all point back to Michael, His influence is really enormous’, Branca said.
Post Your Comments