The Michael movie is already set to break box office records for a musical biopic, and that’s very fitting since Michael Jackson always desired to be involved in film, either behind the camera or acting himself. Through his iconic short-form music videos, Jackson proved that he had a love for filmmaking and was heavily influenced by some of the greats, which helped shape some of his work. While Jackson never made it into the mainstream as a filmmaker or actor, he did circle the field on many occasions, so let’s break down some fun facts about his connection to cinema through the work he completed and films he was planned to be a part of but, for whatever reason, didn’t come to fruition.
Ben (1972)
Jackson had a huge affinity for animals, so who better to sing the title song from the 1972 film of the same name? Ben is a spin-off of the 1971 killer rat film Willard and follows lonely Danny Garrison (Lee Harcourt Montgomery), who befriends Willard’s former titular pet rat. Ben becomes Danny’s best friend and protects him from bullying, but, as most killer rats do, forms an army of deadly rodents as the police attempt to gain control over the situation.
While Lee Montgomery sings “Ben” in the film, Michael Jackson was tasked with singing the Don Black and Walter Scharf-written song over the closing credits. Considering it’s about a killer rat, the song sounds undeniably sweet and features one of Jackson’s best vocals. The song spent one week at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, won a Golden Globe for Best Song, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1973.
The Wiz (1978)
In 1978, director Sidney Lumet took on adapting the 1974 Broadway musical The Wiz and cast Jackson as the Scarecrow alongside Diana Ross’ Dorothy Gale. The Wiz reimagines the classic L. Frank Baum’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, with an African-American cast. Dorothy Gale (Ross) is a 24-year-old teacher from Harlem who is transported to the Land of OZ, and while on her adventure to find The Wiz (Richard Pryor), she runs into the Scarecrow (Jackson), Tin Man (Nipsey Russell), and the Cowardly Lion (Ted Ross). The Wiz was produced by Universal Pictures and Motown Productions, the latter of which led to the casting of Ross and Jackson in their roles.
Jackson had already left Motown with his brothers, minus Jermaine, for Epic Records, but it was believed that Jackson would be perfect for the role of the Scarecrow. Lumet believed that Jimmie Walker from Good Times was better suited for the role and said that Jackson, along with his brothers, were “Vegas acts.” The Wiz was significant for Jackson because at 18, it was the first time he would be on his own, something his father Joe Jackson was very concerned about because he felt it would lead to interference with his time making music with his brothers.
Jackson ultimately won the role and moved to New York with his sister La Toya Jackson while filming took place, likely leading to pushing for more independence that led to his first official solo album, Off The Wall, with Quincy Jones. Despite being a commercial and critical failure upon release, The Wiz has turned into a cult favorite over the years, and reappraisals have viewed the film far more favorably.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
While Jackson wasn’t in the Steven Spielberg classic, he was a huge fan of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which led to him collaborating on the E.T. Storybook album. Jacksons narrated the story and sang the song “Someone in the Dark.” Jackson was reportedly very moved by the film and felt connected to it because he felt that the movie mirrored his life and the loneliness he felt. Produced by Quincy Jones, the audiobook/storybook became so emotional for Jackson that he frequently wept during recording, adding a more personal layer to the storybook’s narration. The song “Someone in the Dark” was originally intended to be added to his Thriller album, but became a much better fit for the E.T. narrative and went on to win a Grammy for Best Recording for Children.
Captain EO (1986)
If you made any trips to Disney theme parks between 1986 and 1998, you may have seen the 3D science fiction short film Captain EO starring Jackson and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Executive produced by George Lucas, Captain EO stars Jackson as the titular space captain who uses the power of music and dance to turn a dark world into something a bit brighter. Captain EO was an in-theater attraction that featured special effects that matched the action taking place on screen. It’s considered one of the first 4D films (incorporating lasers, smoke, and other effects to enhance the in-theater experience), and it was a huge testament to Jackson’s immense popularity at the time.
The score was composed by the late James Horner and featured two new songs written by Jackson, “We Are Here to Change the World” and “Another Part of Me,” the latter of which appeared on his 1987 album, Bad. The attraction made a return to Disney theme parks in 2010 as a tribute to Jackson following his death and made its final appearance at Epcot on December 6, 2015.
Moonwalker (1988)
To promote his 1987 album Bad, Jackson released the anthology musical film Moonwalker, directed by Jim Blashfield. Moonwalker is split into segments that are connected through a narrative that represents different stages of the King of Pop’s career. It’s part career retrospective and fantasy short film that sees Jacksons saving children from an evil druglord named Mr. Big (Joe Pesci) by turning into a robot and a spaceship. Sure, it all sounds silly, but Moonwalker is a true product of its time and a celebration of the Bad album, featuring standout short-form videos for “Speed Demon,” “Smooth Criminal,” and “Leave Me Alone, ” the latter of which won the only Grammy awarded to Bad for its groundbreaking music video.
The cornerstone of the film is “Smooth Criminal,” which features Jackson at his absolute coolest, complete with an anti-gravity lean that continues to mesmerize all these years later. Moonwalker received a theatrical release in Europe and South America, but Warner Bros. scrapped plans for a theatrical Christmas release in the U.S., opting to release the film on home video. The move proved successful with Moonwalker topping Billboard’s Video Chart for 22 weeks and Billboard’s Top Video-Cassette sales chart for 14 weeks. By 1989, Moonwalker sold 800,000 copies in the U.S. and went 9 x Platinum in the U.K.
The Unmade Doctor Who Movie (1988)
In 1988, a Doctor Who film was in development at Paramount Pictures, and Jackson was one of the names in contention for the main character, according to the 2013 book Now on the Big Screen: The Unofficial and Unauthorized Guide to Doctor Who at the Cinema. The film was given the go-ahead by Paramount in 1988, and Jackson, along with Bill Cosby, was one of the names at the top of their list to lead the film. Jackson was reportedly interested in taking on the role of the Doctor, but the film was ultimately canceled by the studio and didn’t move forward.
Hook (1991)
Jackson always felt connected to Peter Pan and Neverland, which is likely why he was reportedly approached to portray the character in Steven Spielberg’s Hook before Robin Williams won the role. Spielberg himself revealed this tidbit back in 2011and said he personally called Jackson about the film because he knew he felt a connection to the character. The director said that Jackson was originally enthusiastic about taking the role but passed when Spielberg revealed more details of the film’s story.
The director said, “This is about a lawyer that is brought back to save his kids and discovers that he was once, when he was younger, Peter Pain.’ Michael understood at that point it wasn’t the same Peter Pan he wanted to make.” It’s fun to imagine what could’ve been, but Hook is perfect as is.
Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace (1999)
Before Ahmed Best took on the controversial supporting role of Jar Jar Binks in the Star Wars prequel The Phantom Menace, Jackson was considered for the role, and it all came out in a very awkward way for Best. During a Reddit AMA in 2014, Best revealed that he, Natalie Portman, George Lucas, and his kids went to Jackson’s HIStory World Tour at Wembley Stadium in 1997 and were taken backstage to meet the King of Pop. Lucas introduced Best as “Jar Jar,” which led to an “Oh, Ok” response from Jackson that confused the actor.
Lucas later explained to Best at an afterparty that he approached Jackson to portray Jar Jar Binks, but it fell apart when Jackson wanted to use prosthetics and make-up to bring the character to life rather than using CGI. Given the reception the character received, perhaps Jackson dodged a bullet, but it should be noted that Jar Jar did rise a bit in popularity through memes beginning in the 2010s.
X-Men (2000)
Although it’s really hard to picture, Jackson reportedly campaigned for the role of Professor Charles Xavier in the 2000 X-Men movie, a part that ultimately went to Patrick Stewart. According to reports, Jackson met with director Bryan Singer and made his case for being right for the role with a full-on presentation. Producers allegedly made the point that the character is an older white man, a problem Jackson reportedly said could be solved by wearing makeup.
In the end, the producers wisely passed on Jackson and went with Stewart, but that isn’t the last Jackson connection to X-Men, as his sister Janet was considered for the role of Storm before Halle Berry won the role. Also of Marvel note, Jackson was a huge comic book fan, particularly Marvel, and had a big interest in buying Marvel comics when they faced financial troubles in the 1990s, with his main plan to portray Peter Parker/Spider-Man, according to reports.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
Before Johnny Depp, Jackson wanted in on Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and reportedly went as far as to record a full soundtrack for the movie to make his case to portray Willy Wonka. This project began development as early as 1999, and even though Warner Bros. never looked Jackson’s way for a role in the film, he had the project on his radar. According to reports, between 2000 and 2003, Jackson secretly recorded a soundtrack album for the film as a way to audition for the role of Willy Wonka.
According to producer Marc Schaffel, who had produced a couple of projects for Jackson at the time, he shared the music with Warner Bros., who loved it, but still didn’t want Jackson to play Wonka. Schaffel said, “The execs at Warner were intrigued and went nuts over the soundtrack, absolutely loved it. Then they came back later and said, ‘You know, this may not be the perfect marriage for us. But we would one hundred percent pay anything for the soundtrack.’ I think Tim Burton wanted Johnny Depp all along. But the reason Warner Brothers gave, when I pressed them, was, ‘We can’t have this guy starring in what would be a children’s movie. As a marketable idea, it doesn’t work.”
Warner Bros. reportedly wanted the music so bad that they said he could name his price and they would even offer him a cameo or another role, but not the lead. The score was shelved when Jackson was passed over for the role of Wonka, which, honestly, was probably for the best.
Michael is now playing theaters nationwide.
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