MJJ-777

•

Spike Lee attends the BET Awards in Los Angeles.

SOURCE: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/spike-lee-working-on-michael-jackson-documentary-20120710

Filmmaker Spike Lee is currently in the final stages of post-production of a Michael Jackson documentary that focuses on the King of Pop’s album Bad and ensuing world tour.

The film, which syncs up nicely with the album’s 25th anniversary, features 40 interviews done by Lee with Jackson’s confidants, choreographers, musicians and other collaborators. Lee also interviewed contemporary stars from Kanye West to Sheryl Crow (a backup singer on the Bad tour) about the album’s lasting influence.

“I’m more than just a huge fan of Michael Jackson,” said Lee in a statement. “And having the chance to actually know him and work with him, I deeply care about his legacy.”

The doc looks to tell the story of the “coming of age” project that led to a global tour that broke all sorts of records, as well as the revolutionary short films/music videos the album spawned, like the one for the title track directed by Martin Scorsese.

“Spike Lee’s genius as a storyteller combined with his passion and first-hand appreciation of Michael’s artistry makes him the logical filmmaker to tell the story of ‘Bad,'” commented John Branca and John McLain, co-executors of the estate of Michael Jackson. “We are thrilled to be working with him on this unique project.”

Back in 2009, Lee directed the clip for Jackson’s posthumous track “This Is It,” which used archival footage of Jackson mixed with his most unforgettable moments and a montage of fan tributes. The documentary will accompany the September 18th release of Bad 25, a box set celebrating the 25th anniversary of the record, which will feature an unreleased performance at Wembley Stadium in London on July 16th, 1988. No official release date for the documentary, however, has been announced.

“With this ‘Bad’ project I was able to uncover just what made this such a huge, important coming of age in his career,” added Lee. “And unearth compelling stories surrounding the making of the album, the long awaited follow-up to Thriller – the best-selling album of all time – the short films and the tour that may have never seen the light of day.”

Here’s a clip from the upcoming documentary:

_ _ _

There are certain legitimate confidants of Michael’s that I know they did not and would not interview for this documentary. And, it’s hardly happenstance that its release coincides with the BAD25 promotion. It’s bound to a very interesting and historic piece. Spike Lee’s work is consistently phenomenal and rightfully well-respected. I can’t think of anyone else who would fit the bill when it comes to making this documentary. There isn’t much the estate has done since Michael’s death that interests me but this documentary does. It’s something that by all rights should have been done long ago, when he was alive and could add his own input. I’ll be looking forward to it.  -Seven

Tags: Bad, BAD25, Spike Lee