The release of a new Michael Jackson biopic -- 16 years after his death -- highlights a robust franchise seemingly immune to the child sex abuse claims that still haunt the "King of Pop."
Film studio Lionsgate is banking on making $700 million in global box office receipts for the feature-length "Michael," which has its world premiere in Berlin on Friday.Â
kAm%92E 7:8FC6 H@F=5 72C DFCA2DD @E96C AC@5F4E:@?D :? E96 D2>6 86?C6 6I46AE 7@C E96 uC655:6 |6C4FCJ\:?DA:C65 Qq@96>:2? #92AD@5J[Q H9:49 E@@< :? Sh`_ >:==:@?]Â k^Am
kAmQ|:4926=Q :D ;FDE E96 =2E6DE :?DE2==>6?E @7 2 7=@FC:D9:?8 64@?@>:4 6>A:C6 :? y24<D@?VD ?2>6]Â k^Am
kAmQ|yi %96 |FD:42=Q @A6?65 @? qC@25H2J :? a_aa 2?5 92D 366? DE2865 :? @E96C 4@F?EC:6D[ H9:=6 E96 r:CBF6 5F $@=6:= AC@5F4E:@? Q|:4926= y24<D@? ~}tQ 92D 366? CF??:?8 :? {2D '682D D:?46 a_`b]Â k^Am
kAm|J4926= s2C<=:89E6C[ 2 72? H9@ =:G6D :? pFDEC2=:2[ D2:5 96 92D EH:46 D66? E96 >FD:42= 2?5 C642==65 2 4@?D:DE6?E=J 6?E9FD:2DE:4 2F5:6?46]Â k^Am
kAmQp 4C@H5 @7 2== 286D H2D 8@:?8 ?FED 7@C :E 6249 E:>6 x 2EE6?565[Q 96 D2:5]Â k^Am
kAm{2DE J62C[ 7@C E96 E9:CE66?E9 E:>6 D:?46 9:D 562E9 :? a__h[ y24<D@? E@AA65 E96 u@C36D =:DE @7 56462D65 46=63C:E:6D 86?6C2E:?8 E96 >@DE C6G6?F6]k^Am
kAmp?5 @? $A@E:7J[ E96 2CE:DE 92D >@C6 >@?E9=J =:DE6?6CD E92? q6J@?46[ !@DE |2=@?6[ @C ~=:G:2 s62? \\ >2;@C 7:8FC6D :? 4@?E6>A@C2CJ A@A]k^Am
kAm':?46?E p>6?[ 2 7@C>6C 25G:D@C E@ y24<D@?[ D2:5 96 36=:6G6D E96 ?6H 7:=> H:== 3@@DE E92E 4=@FE 6G6? 7FCE96C]Â k^Am
kAmQ(:E9 E96 72? 32D6[ x E9:?< E92E E96JVC6 AFEE:?8 E96>D6=G6D @? E96 C:89E A2E9 E@ 4@>>6C4:2= DF446DD[Q 96 D2:5]Â k^Am
k9am\ q23J @G6C 32=4@?J \k^9am
kAmz:>36C=J zC2FEE6C[ @7 E96 AF3=:4 C6=2E:@?D 7:C> z\u24E@C $EC2E68:6D[ D2:5 E92E y24<D@?VD 3FD:?6DD :D >@C6 AC@7:E23=6 27E6C 9:D 562E9 2D :E :D Q=6DD 7C2F89E H:E9 4@?EC@G6CDJ]Qk^Am
kAm$96 A@:?E65 E@ D6G6C2= !# >:DDE6AD y24<D@? >256[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 >@>6?E :? a__a H96? 96 72>@FD=J 52?8=65 9:D 323J @G6C 2 9@E6= 32=4@?J =6586 :? q6C=:? H9:=6 H2G:?8 E@ 72?D 82E96C65 36=@H]k^Am
kAmp>6? 28C665 E92E E96 A@D:E:G6 2EE6?E:@? 5FC:?8 E96 D:?86CVD 42C66C H2D C68F=2C=J @77D6E 3J 4@?E6?E:@FD >@>6?ED]k^Am
kAmQ(92E6G6C AF3=:4:EJ 96 925 E92E H2D A@D:E:G6 D@>6E:>6D H2D 4@F?E6C65 H:E9 |:4926=VD >:DE2<6D 2D ?682E:G6 AF3=:4:EJ[ 2?5 E92E >256 :E G6CJ 5:77:4F=E E@ 5@ 3FD:?6DD H:E9 9:>[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmp?@E96C 6I2>A=6 H2D :? E96 a__b 5@4F>6?E2CJ Q{:G:?8 H:E9 |:4926= y24<D@?[Q H96C6 E96 DE2C 6IA=2:?65 E92E 96 DE:== :?G:E65 49:=5C6? E@ D=66A :? 9:D 365[ 6G6? E9@F89 96 H2D 2=C625J E96 DF3;64E @7 49:=5 D6IF2= 23FD6 2==682E:@?D]k^Am
k9am\ Vs6DEC@J 9:D 492C24E6CV \k^9am
kAms6DA:E6 9:D a__d 24BF:EE2= :? 2 4C:>:?2= EC:2= 7@C 49:=5 >@=6DE2E:@?[ y24<D@? ?6G6C >2?2865 E@ C6DE@C6 9:D :>286 H9:=6 2=:G6]Â k^Am
kAm~E96C 2==6865 G:4E:>D 7:=65 4:G:= =2HDF:ED 27E6C 9:D 562E9 2?5 D6G6C2= AC@4665:?8D 2C6 @?8@:?8] %96 2CE:DE 92D ?6G6C 366? 4@?G:4E65 :? 4C:>:?2= @C 4:G:= 4@FCE]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ D6G6C2= >65:2 @FE=6ED[ ?@?6 @7 E96D6 6A:D@56D 2AA62C :? E96 3:@A:4 H9:49 H2D AC@5F465 F?56C E96 DFA6CG:D:@? @7 E96 y24<D@? 72>:=J]k^Am
kAmQx H@F=5 =@G6 E92E E96 7:=> H@F=5 E6== E96 >@DE 9F>2? DE@CJ 23@FE |:4926= y24<D@? A@DD:3=6[Q D2:5 |2C< p?E9@?J }62=[ AC@76DD@C @7 p7C:42? 2?5 p7C:42? p>6C:42? $EF5:6D 2E sF<6 &?:G6CD:EJ]k^Am
kAmQqFE x 2=D@ C62=:K6 E92E H6VC6 :? 2 A6C:@5 @7 E:>6 H96C6 w@==JH@@5 5@6D ?@E 562= H:E9 46=63C:E:6D :? E92E H2J[Q 96 25565]k^Am
kAmu@C zC2FEE6C[ y24<D@?VD :>286 92D 366? C6=2E:G6=J DA2C65 3642FD6 96 5:65 367@C6 E96 |6%@@ >@G6>6?E[ H9:49 ?@E23=J 3C@F89E 5@H? D:?86C #] z6==J @G6C 49:=5 D6IF2= 23FD6]k^Am
kAm|62?H9:=6[ E96 72? s2C<=:89E6C C6>2:?D 4@?G:?465 E92E y24<D@? 5:5 ?@E9:?8 HC@?8]Â k^Am
kAmQx E9:?< 9:D =6824J :D AC6EEJ D64FC6[ 2== E9:?8D 4@?D:56C65] }@ >2EE6C 9@H >F49 E96J ECJ E@ 56DEC@J 9:D 492C24E6C[Q 96 D2:5]Â k^Am
kAmEF^G=2^3;E^D=2k^Am