Antoine Fuqua to Direct Michael Jackson Biopic, 'Michael'

by Darian Scalamoni

    It's the age of the comic book movie, however, it is also the age of the music biopic. Ever since the massive hit, Bohemian Rhapsody chronicled Freddie Mercury and the rise of the super group Queen, there has been a clamoring for these biographical re-telling's of the lives of superstars in the world of music. One name that is ripe for a big-budget film about their life is the late Michael Jackson and it appears that we're closer to that reality. With news coming from an exclusive over at Deadline, Antoine Fuqua (The Magnificent Seven, Training Day) is set to helm the feature telling of the legendary King of Pop in the film, Michael.

    Though there is a storied history about the rise, fall and controversy surrounding the life of Michael Jackson, Fuqua has handled controversial material before, even most recently with his film, Emancipation starring Will Smith for Apple, which released at the end of last year following his slap of comedian Chris Rock at the Academy Awards. Fuqua will direct from a script from John Logan (Skyfall, The Aviator) which will be produced by Graham King, who won an Academy Award for The Departed. King also produced the aforementioned Bohemian Rhapsody, setting a powerhouse team for the feature. 

    King and Logan have long called Michael a "passion project" for the duo. Sources say that the film will cover all musical points in Jackson's life from his start with the Jackson 5 as a child, to his rise to King of Pop status shattering records with his solo records. The film will also detail his allegations of pedophilia that framed his later years until his death in 2009 due to cardiac arrest.

    The production schedule for Michael is moving ahead rather quickly as Lionsgate aims to start filming later this year once Fuqua wraps production on The Equalizer 3. Fuqua started as a director of music videos for Prince and Stevie Wonder before helming his feature directorial debut, Training Day, so he might just be the perfect fit to helm the life story of Jackson.