Michael Jackson's Nephew Slams Media Ahead of Biopic Release - Variety

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Michael Jackson’s Nephew Slams Media Ahead of ‘Michael’ Biopic Release: ‘Can’t Wait ‘Till Some Critics Have to Eat Crow’

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Just ahead of the Friday release of the Michael Jackson biopic “Michael,” a family member has taken gleeful aim at the media in a series of posts.

Taj Jackson, Michael 's nephew and the son of Jackson 5 member Tito, took to Twitter/X to jeer at the media writ large on Tuesday, saying it can no longer "control the narrative anymore of who Michael Jackson truly was. The public gets to watch this movie... they will decide for themselves," before closing with: "And you can't handle that."

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The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua and produced in part by Michael Jackson's estate, covers the King of Pop's life from 10-year-old member of the Jackson 5 through to the apex of his popularity – somewhere around 1988, when he was 30 years old and touring behind the epochal album Bad.

Originally, the film extended further into the future, addressing the shocking 1993 accusations of child molestation levied against Michael Jackson and the subsequent investigation. However, lawyers from the Jackson Estate found that a settlement with one accuser had precluded any depiction or mention of them in a film. The discovery meant a new third act had to be developed, requiring 22 days of reshoots at the cost of $15-20 million.

Earlier reporting from Variety shows predictions of a $65-70 million domestic opening for Michael with hopes for a $700 million overall, worldwide. The film currently sits at 37% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from an aggregation of critics' reviews.

"Can't wait 'till some critics have to eat crow," Taj Jackson continued, adding, “And yes I will be that petty.”

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