A musical detailing the life ofMichael Jacksonis about to moonwalk across Broadway.
According toPlaybill, the production — which is slated to premiere in 2020 — is a collaboration between the Jackson Estate and Columbia Live Stage, and will feature the King of Pop’s own music.
Lynn Nottage, the playwright behind Pulitzer winnersRuined(2009) andSweat(2017), has signed on to pen the book for the show, and Tony-winner Christopher Wheeldon is set to direct and give his distinctive take on Jackson’s legendary choreography.
Few details have been released, and the name and casting decisions for the production remain unknown.
Despite their involvement in the music, the Jackson Estate is currentlyat odds with ABC and The Walt Disney Companyover the network’s recent prime time specialThe Last Days of Michael Jackson.
The estate claims ABC used a plethora of copyrighted materials without permission, from his hits (“Billie Jean,” “Beat It”) and clips of music videos (“Thriller,” “Bad”) to live concert footage, a portion of the 2016 Spike Lee documentaryMichael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to Off the Walland the 2009 documentaryMichael Jackson’s This Is It.
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The Last Days of Michael Jacksonaired May 24 on ABC. The controversial special investigated the King of Pop’s troubled life, from his young rise to fame to his decline into addiction and debt in his later years.
“We have not yet had an opportunity to review the complaint. The ABC News’ documentary explored the life, career and legacy of Michael Jackson, who remains of great interest to people worldwide, and did not infringe on his estate’s rights,” an ABC News spokesperson tells PEOPLE.
Jackson’s estate slammed the piece in a statement before it aired: “We believe the special to be another crass and unauthorized attempt to exploit the life, music and image of Michael Jackson without respect for Michael’s legacy, intellectual property rights or his children.”
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Jackson was 50 years old when he wasfound deadon June 25, 2009, in his L.A. mansion. In 2011 his doctor, Conrad Murray, wasconvicted of involuntary manslaughter.
source: people.com
