‘Leaving Neverland 2’ Director Dan Reed On Why HBO Backed Out Of Michael Jackson Sequel, The “Rough” Road For Docs & Lionsgate‘s King Of Pop Biopic
deadline.comIt’s been six years since Leaving Neverland left an indelible impression on Michael Jackson’s legacy. The King of Pop was cleared of child abuse charges during his lifetime, but something about the Emmy-winning testimony of Wade Robson and James Safechuck stuck in the collective consciousness, despite consistent denials from Jackson’s family and those who manage his business empire.
Leaving Neverland 2 picks up the story where the first film left off in 2019, chronicling Robson and Safechuck’s legal battle with the Jackson estate as they seek to hold the singer’s enablers accountable for the abuse they claim to have suffered. “I want my day in court,” Robson says intensely.
In this sense, the Leaving Neverland sequel feels like a prelude to the main event: a trial next year in which their allegations will be tested in front of a jury.
Director Dan Reed calls it a “stepping stone” documentary. “The intention is to follow the stories until the end,” he tells Deadline.
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