Michael Jackson fans swarm Berlin for biopic premiere

Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in “Michael.” (Glen Wilson/Lionsgate via CNN Newsource)

BERLIN - Thousands of Michael Jackson fans descended on Berlin on Friday for the premiere of a new biopic about the “King of Pop”, undeterred by child sex abuse allegations that continue to haunt the star.

“Michael,” in which the singer is portrayed by his nephew Jaafar Jackson, is expected to be one of the highest-grossing films of its kind in history.

In the queue for the screening, Andy Escobar, a 31-year-old aircraft mechanic from the U.S., said his nickname at school was MJ -- “because everybody knew that I was a Michael Jackson fan”.

Asked about the child abuse allegations, Escobar said simply: “We know that’s not true.”

“He was found not guilty,” added Megane Kittler, a 31-year-old educator from France who lives in Berlin.

Only around 4,000 fans will actually be able to watch the film on Friday evening, two weeks before its official release, after being allocated seats via prize draws.

For the rest, there will be Michael Jackson-themed activities throughout the weekend including panel discussions with the film crew, an exhibition dedicated to the singer and themed parties.

Jackson, who died aged 50 in 2009 from an overdose of propofol, faced multiple allegations of child sex abuse during his lifetime.

Release pushed back

Despite his 2005 acquittal in a criminal trial for child molestation, the star never managed to restore his image while alive.

Other alleged victims filed civil lawsuits after his death and several proceedings are ongoing. The artist has never been convicted in a criminal or civil court.

“Michael” was originally intended to explore the impact of the allegations on the star, according to industry magazine Variety, citing unnamed sources “with knowledge of the production”.

However, a third of the film was cut after lawyers for the Jackson estate realised there was a clause in a settlement with one of the singer’s accusers that barred any mention of him in a film, the magazine said.

As a result, large parts of the film had to be rewritten and the release -- originally scheduled for April 18, 2025 -- was pushed back.

Film studio Lionsgate is banking on making US$700 million in global box office receipts for the feature-length film.

That figure would far surpass other productions in the same genre except for the Freddie Mercury-inspired “Bohemian Rhapsody”, which took in $910 million.