The Graham King-produced Michael Jackson biopic, which is being made with the blessing of the pop legend’s estate, is seeing its worldwide distribution rights snapped up by Lionsgate. The biopic will portray Michael as a complicated man who became the King of Pop. It will bring to life Jackson’s most iconic performances as it gives an informed insight into the entertainer’s artistic process and personal life.
According to Deadline, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Chair Joe Drake said, “I am very excited that Lionsgate will be part of this epic film, and thrilled to be working with Graham, who has proven success in telling iconic life stories, from Bohemian Rhapsody to Ali; when combined with John, we couldn’t be in more extraordinary hands. I first met the Jackson family in 1981 and I’m humbled to bring their legacy to the big screen.”
Michael Jackson is one of the biggest-selling artist of all time, with an estimated sales of 400 million records around the globe. He counts 13 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles, more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era, and was the first artist to have a top-10 single on that chart in five different decades. His honors include 15 Grammy wins, 6 Brit Awards, a Golden Globe and 39 Guinness World Records including Most Successful Entertainer of All Time. His inductions include the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (twice), the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Dance Hall of Fame (the only recording artist to be inducted) and the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame.
Oscar-winning The Departed producer Graham King will produce with John Branca and John McClain, the co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate. King and Logan previously collaborated on Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator.
On the work front, Graham King’s cinematic canon counts 71 Oscar nominations. He received a Best Picture Oscar nomination for producing Bohemian Rhapsody, which minted $911M at the global box office and notched star Rami Malek an Oscar for his turn as Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. King recently produced Sandra Bullock’s The Unforgivable, which became one of the top-viewed films on Netflix. He is currently developing the story of the Bee Gees for the big screen at Paramount.
Logan wrote Ridley Scott’s Best Picture Oscar winner Gladiator. In addition to his Oscar-nominated work, Logan’s other movies include Skyfall, Hugo, The Last Samurai, Any Given Sunday and Sweeney Todd. He won the Tony for his play Red and wrote the book for the Best Musical Tony winner Moulin Rouge.