The Guardian Headline Full font family includes several styles, each with different weights and italics. These fonts are available in multiple formats like woff2, woff, and ttf, hosted on the Guardian’s servers. The styles range from light to semibold, with both regular and italic versions.@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 700;
font-style: normal;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 700;
font-style: italic;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 900;
font-style: normal;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 900;
font-style: italic;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Titlepiece;
src: url(https://interactive.guim.co.uk/fonts/garnett/GTGuardianTitlepiece-Bold.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://interactive.guim.co.uk/fonts/garnett/GTGuardianTitlepiece-Bold.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://interactive.guim.co.uk/fonts/garnett/GTGuardianTitlepiece-Bold.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 700;
font-style: normal;
}
@media (min-width: 71.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive {
margin-left: 160px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 81.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive {
margin-left: 240px;
}
}
.content__main-column–interactive .element-atom {
max-width: 620px;
}
@media (max-width: 46.24em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-atom {
max-width: 100%;
}
}
.content__main-column–interactive .element-showcase {
margin-left: 0;
}
@media (min-width: 46.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-showcase {
max-width: 620px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 71.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-showcase {
max-width: 860px;
}
}
.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive {
max-width: 1100px;
}
@media (max-width: 46.24em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive {
width: calc(100vw – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px));
position: relative;
left: 50%;
right: 50%;
margin-left: calc(-50vw + var(–half-scrollbar-width, 0px)) !important;
margin-right: calc(-50vw + var(–half-scrollbar-width, 0px)) !important;
}
}
@media (min-width: 46.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive {
transform: translate(-20px);
width: calc(100% + 60px);
}
}
@media (max-width: 71.24em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive {
margin-left: 0;
margin-right: 0;
}
}
@media (min-width: 71.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive {
transform: translate(0);
width: auto;
}
}
@media (min-width: 81.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive {
max-width: 1260px;
}
}
.content__main-column–interactive p,
.content__main-column–interactive ul {
max-width: 620px;
}
.content__main-column–interactive:before {
position: absolute;
top: 0;
height: calc(100% + 15px);
min-height: 100px;
content: “”;
}
@media (min-width: 71.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive:before {
border-left: 1px solid #dcdcdc;
z-index: -1;
left: -10px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 81.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive:before {
border-left: 1px solid #dcdcdc;
}
}The main interactive content column has specific styling for elements. Elements within this column have no top or bottom margin but include padding. When a paragraph follows an element, the spacing adjusts accordingly. Inline elements are limited to a maximum width of 620 pixels.
For larger screens, inline figures are also constrained to 620 pixels. Video elements with looping functionality have custom button styling and positioning. Self-hosted videos are displayed as blocks, taking up the full width up to 620 pixels, with centered alignment. Immersive video elements expand beyond this limit, removing width constraints and adjusting margins. On wider screens, immersive videos extend further, with left margins adjusted for alignment.
Color variables define various theme elements, such as dateline, borders, captions, and feature colors. These adapt for dark mode preferences. Within the article body, the first paragraph after certain elements receives additional top padding, and the first letter may be styled distinctively.The CSS code defines styles for drop caps, pullquotes, and various layout elements across different sections of a website. Drop caps are styled with a specific font, size, and color, and are floated to the left. Pullquotes are given a maximum width. For showcase elements, captions are positioned statically with a set width. Immersive elements are set to full viewport width, with adjustments for different screen sizes, including specific margins and padding for smaller devices. A furniture wrapper uses CSS Grid for layout on larger screens, creating a multi-column structure and defining grid areas for elements like the headline and meta information. It also adds a top border to the first child of headline elements.The furniture wrapper sets the standfirst content to have a relative position with a top padding of 2 pixels and no right margin. Within the standfirst, the main content area has a bottom margin of 4 pixels. List items inside the standfirst use a font size of 20 pixels. Links within the standfirst, including those in list items, have no border, no background image, and are underlined with an offset of 6 pixels, using a custom color for the underline. On hover, the underline color changes to a new pillar color.
The first paragraph in the standfirst has a top border and no bottom padding. For larger screens (61.25em and above), if the screen is also at least 71.25em wide, the top border is removed. On screens wider than 61.25em, figures have no left margin and inline elements with a specific role are limited to a maximum width of 630 pixels.
For screens at least 71.25em wide, the furniture wrapper uses a grid layout with defined columns and rows. A meta section includes a top border created with a pseudo-element that is 540 pixels wide. Paragraphs in the standfirst have no top border, and a vertical line is added before the standfirst using another pseudo-element.
On even larger screens (81.25em and above), the grid layout adjusts with different column and row sizes. The meta top border expands to 620 pixels, and the vertical line before the standfirst shifts slightly.
Labels within the article header or title section have a top padding of 2 pixels. The headline uses a bold font weight, a maximum width of 620 pixels, and a font size of 32 pixels. For screens at least 71.25em wide, the headline adjusts to a maximum width of 540 pixels and a font size of 50 pixels.
On medium screens (46.25em and above), elements with the class keyline-4 or a specific data attribute have no right margin. For larger screens (61.25em and above), these elements are hidden. Their SVG content uses a custom color for strokes.This CSS code defines styles for a webpage layout, particularly for a furniture wrapper section. It sets various properties for elements like meta information, standfirst text, main media, and captions. The styles include adjustments for margins, padding, colors, and positioning, with specific rules for different screen sizes using media queries. The code also defines custom color variables and ensures certain elements are hidden or displayed based on conditions. Overall, it creates a responsive design that adapts to various devices while maintaining a consistent visual theme.The CSS code styles elements within a furniture-wrapper class. Headlines (h1) are bold and light gray (#dcdcdc). Figures in headlines have no top margin and a small bottom margin.
For screens wider than 71.25em, a colored line appears before the meta section. Text and summaries in the meta section are light gray. Social media links and buttons have a colored border and use a specific color for text and icons, which changes to a dark background on hover.
Links in the meta section use a specific color and maintain it on hover with matching underlines. In the standfirst section, links are underlined with a light gray color that changes on hover, and paragraph text is light gray. On wider screens, the first paragraph may have or lose a top border. List items in the standfirst are also light gray.
For screens wider than 71.25em, a line appears before the standfirst. On screens wider than 46.25em, the wrapper gets a dark background and a right border.The CSS defines styles for a layout wrapper with decorative sidebars that adjust based on viewport width. It sets borders, backgrounds, and positions pseudo-elements (`:before` and `:after`) to create these sidebars, calculating their width and placement relative to the viewport and a scrollbar. The width calculations change at specific breakpoints (61.25em, 71.25em, 81.25em) to accommodate different content widths (738px, 978px, 1138px, 1298px). Additional rules style SVG strokes and social/meta element borders using a custom property for color. Heading styles are defined for `h2` elements, making them font-weight 200 by default and 700 if they contain a `strong` tag. Finally, custom font faces for “Guardian Headline Full” are declared, including light, light italic, regular, and regular italic variants with respective font files and weights.@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Regular.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Regular.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Regular.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 400;
font-style: normal;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-RegularItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-RegularItalic.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-RegularItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 400;
font-style: italic;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Medium.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Medium.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Medium.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 500;
font-style: normal;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-MediumItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-MediumItalic.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-MediumItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 500;
font-style: italic;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Semibold.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Semibold.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Semibold.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 600;
font-style: normal;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-SemiboldItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-SemiboldItalic.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-SemiboldItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 600;
font-style: italic;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 700;
font-style: normal;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 700;
font-style: italic;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 900;
font-style: normal;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 900;
font-style: italic;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Titlepiece;
src: url(https://inter…The font file GTGuardianTitlepiece-Bold is available in woff2, woff, and ttf formats with a font-weight of 700 and normal font style. For iOS and Android devices, the root element defines a dark background color (#1a1a1a), a feature color (#c70000), and a dark mode feature color (#ff5943). The new pillar color is set to the primary pillar or the feature color by default.
In dark mode, the new pillar color changes to the dark mode pillar or the dark mode feature color.
On iOS and Android, the first letter of the first paragraph following specific elements in article containers is colored using the secondary pillar color (defaulting to black). The article header height is set to zero, and the furniture wrapper has padding of 4px at the top, 10px on the sides, and 0 at the bottom. Labels within the furniture wrapper use a bold, serif font family, are colored with the new pillar color, and are capitalized. Headlines within the furniture wrapper also follow these styles.For Android devices, the headline in standard and comment article containers is set to 32px, bold, with 12px bottom padding and a dark gray color.
On both iOS and Android, images within feature, standard, and comment articles are positioned relatively, have a top margin of 14px, a left offset of -10px, and a width equal to the full viewport minus the scrollbar.
For these same images and their inner elements on both platforms, the background is transparent, and the width is set to the full viewport minus the scrollbar, with automatic height.
The standfirst section in these article types on both iOS and Android has 4px top padding, 24px bottom padding, and a -10px right margin.
Paragraphs within the standfirst on both platforms use the Guardian Headline font family or fallback serif fonts. Links within the standfirst, including those in list items, are also styled accordingly.For Android devices, links in article introductions are styled with a specific color, underlined, and have no background image. On iOS and Android, these links change underline color when hovered. Meta sections have no margin, and author details use the same color as the links.For iOS and Android devices, the meta information within furniture wrappers across feature, standard, and comment article containers should have no padding.
For these same containers and devices, SVG icons within that meta information should use the new pillar color for their stroke.
The caption button within showcase elements should be displayed as a flex container, centered with 5px padding, 28px in both width and height, and positioned 14px from the right.
The main article body should have 12px of horizontal padding.
Standard image elements (excluding thumbnails and immersive styles) should have no margin, a width calculated as the viewport width minus 24px and any scrollbar width, and an automatic height. Their captions should have no padding.
Immersive image elements should have a width calculated as the viewport width minus any scrollbar width.
Finally, for the article body prose, a left border should be applied to blockquotes marked with the “quoted” class.This CSS code sets styles for quoted text and links within article bodies on iOS and Android devices. It defines colors, underlines, and hover effects for links, and adjusts the appearance of quoted blocks. In dark mode, it changes background colors, text colors, and other visual elements for article headers, labels, headlines, and bylines to ensure readability and maintain design consistency.This CSS code sets styles for different article containers on Android and iOS. It defines colors for author bylines, stroke colors for SVG icons, caption colors for showcase images, and colors for quoted text. It also sets a dark background for various body content areas and styles the first letter after certain elements.This appears to be a CSS selector targeting the first letter of paragraphs in specific article containers on iOS and Android devices. The selector applies to various article types (feature, standard, comment) and different content sections within them, particularly after certain elements like `.element-atom`, `.sign-in-gate`, or `#sign-in-gate`.This appears to be a CSS selector targeting the first letter of paragraphs in specific containers on Android devices. It applies to various article containers like feature, standard, and comment articles, within specific body sections and interactive content areas.For Android devices, the first letter of a paragraph following a sign-in gate in the comment body will be set to a specific color. On both iOS and Android, the standfirst text in comment articles has adjusted padding and no top margin. Headings at the h2 level are set to a font size of 24 pixels.
Caption buttons have specific padding adjustments for iOS and Android across different article types.
In dark mode, several color variables are defined for text and icons to ensure proper contrast and theming. A dark background color is also set.
For article headers on iOS and Android, the opacity is set to zero, effectively hiding them. The furniture wrapper, which contains elements like labels and headlines, has its margin removed. Content labels use a specific color variable, and headlines are set to a light gray color. Links within the article header or title area are colored using a designated variable. Additionally, a pseudo-element is styled before the meta section in the furniture wrapper.For iOS and Android devices, the meta section in feature, standard, and comment article containers has specific styling. A repeating linear gradient is applied as a background before the meta element, using the header border color. The byline text is set to a light gray color (#dcdcdc). Links within the meta section use a CSS variable for color, defaulting to a dark mode feature color. SVG icons in the meta miscellaneous area have their stroke color defined by the same CSS variable.For iOS and Android devices, the alert labels in the meta section of feature, standard, and comment articles are set to a light gray color (#dcdcdc).
Icons within the meta section of these articles on both iOS and Android will use a specific color variable (–new-pillar-colour, with a fallback to –darkModeFeature).
Additionally, the pseudo-elements (like :before) for these icons will also inherit this color variable.
On larger screens (71.25em wide and above), the meta section in these articles will be displayed as a block element with a top border. The border color uses the same color variable (–new-pillar-colour, with a fallback to –headerBorderColor).For iOS and Android devices, the meta information in article containers has its margin reset with a left margin of 20 pixels. Paragraphs and unordered lists within article bodies are set to a maximum width of 620 pixels.
Blockquotes styled as quotes use the secondary pillar color for their decorative elements. Links within the article text are styled with the primary pillar color, featuring an underline with a light gray color and an offset, without any background image. On hover, the underline changes to the secondary pillar color.
In dark mode, the colors for both the blockquote elements and the links switch to the dark mode pillar color.In December 1993, authorities photographed Michael Jackson’s genitals as part of an investigation. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) took the photos after Jackson was accused of sexually abusing 13-year-old Jordan Chandler. Chandler, who had traveled with Jackson on tour and often shared his bed, provided a drawing of distinctive markings on Jackson’s crotch that matched the photos. Prosecutors noted the match included not just the genitalia, but a specific mark on the underside of his penis, as described by the accuser.
This strip-search became a notorious episode in Jackson’s life. Shortly afterward, he called it “the most humiliating ordeal of my life” in a live broadcast. The following month, Jackson reportedly settled the case out of court for $25 million. Jackson and his estate have always denied Chandler’s allegations and nearly a dozen other claims of child molestation. In a 1995 interview, Jackson dismissed the accusations as lies motivated by money.
A new Michael Jackson biopic set for release this month will not address these allegations. The film, backed by Jackson’s estate with a $155 million budget from Lionsgate, focuses instead on his music and legacy. It follows his rise from Gary, Indiana, to early fame with the Jackson 5 and global superstardom with Thriller, the best-selling album of all time.
Critics argue the film aims to rehabilitate Jackson’s image. Although he was acquitted of child molestation charges in 2005, allegations have continued after his death in 2009. The 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland featured two men who claimed Jackson abused them as children, and in February of this year, four siblings from the Cascio family filed a lawsuit alleging they were sexually assaulted and trafficked by Jackson over more than a decade. Jackson’s estate has vehemently denied these new claims, calling the lawsuit a money grab.
Despite a brief dip in streams and airplay after Leaving Neverland, Jackson’s legacy remains strong, with multiple musicals and a Cirque du Soleil show celebrating his work. When the trailer for the biopic Michael was released in November, it garnered 116.2 million views in its first 24 hours.The trailer for the Michael Jackson biopic has become the most-watched music biopic trailer of all time, with some analysts predicting it could be the first film in the genre to earn $1 billion worldwide. If it reaches that milestone, it would mark a dramatic turnaround for a production that has often seemed troubled, if not cursed.
This month, Variety and the New York Times reported that the film was originally intended to cover Jordan Chandler’s molestation claims against Jackson, dedicating much of its third act to the allegations and their impact on the singer. Dan Reed, director of the documentary Leaving Neverland, confirmed these reports to the Guardian, stating he read a leaked script in late 2023. “I was astonished that the estate had the confidence to directly try and address the child sexual abuse allegations,” he said.
Reed claimed the script contained “a number of outright distortions” in its portrayal of Chandler’s story. He believed the production was attempting to present a more sympathetic view of Jackson to protect his reputation. (Chandler’s case never went to trial and was not substantiated in court.) Reed said he was particularly shocked by how the script handled the findings of Jackson’s controversial strip-search. “It was stated that the photograph and the drawing did not match,” Reed said. “That’s not the case. It was rewriting history.”
However, the finished film, Michael, ends in 1984, years before Jackson met Chandler, according to his estate. After principal photography wrapped in 2024, an estate attorney discovered a clause in Jackson’s 1994 settlement with Chandler that prohibited any mention of him in a movie. A Lionsgate spokesperson told the New York Times that “substantial footage” was scrapped, and the estate provided the $10-15 million needed to reshoot the film’s ending. Originally scheduled for spring 2025, the release was delayed to October and then pushed again to April 24. The film now faces the monumental task of addressing Jackson’s critics while faithfully portraying the man behind the myth.
In an email, John Branca, co-executor of the Jackson estate, wrote: “False or misleading claims about how an early script allegedly portrayed the discredited allegations made against Michael almost a decade later are both inaccurate and irrelevant to the film since the movie ends at a time period when no such claims had even been made. The bottom line is that discussion of earlier versions of the biopic’s script is entirely irrelevant to Michael—the motion picture that was actually produced and is being released globally next week.”
Lionsgate did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
If anyone’s life story merits an honest biopic, it is Jackson’s. He rose from an abusive childhood to change music with era-defining albums and extraordinary live performances. While his behavior grew increasingly strange and allegedly criminal in later decades, he maintains arguably the largest—and certainly one of the most vocal—fanbases of any deceased celebrity. He is the second most-followed deceased person on Instagram, after Mac Miller.
Initially, it seemed Michael might offer a balanced portrait. “He was a great artist. He was human,” director Antoine Fuqua said on Good Morning America in 2023. “We’re going to show the good, bad and the ugly … We’re just going to tell the facts.” The following year, producer Graham King told Variety his goal was to “humanize but not sanitize and present the most compelling, unbiased story I can capture in a single feature film and let the audience decide how they feel after watching it.”
With a star-studded cast including Jaafar Jackson in the lead role, alongside Colman Domingo, Nia Long, and Miles Teller, filming for Michael began in January 2024 under the code name “Maven,” following delays caused by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.When principal photography began, the cast faced questions about the allegations against Michael Jackson. In a 2024 interview, Miles Teller said, “Before I choose any role, I consider everything about it. Regardless of what you know or what your opinion may be, Michael is one of the greatest to ever do it, if not the greatest.”
Colman Domingo, who plays Joe Jackson, suggested the film would offer a nuanced portrait. “I actually don’t think it’s trying to prove his innocence,” he told GQ. “I think it’s just trying to give a great examination of an artist, what made him who he is, what makes him complicated, so you can leave with your own answers.” In 2024, a film spokesperson downplayed the Jackson estate’s creative involvement, saying they had “put their trust in producer Graham King.”
However, current reports suggest a different story. John Branca, co-executor of Jackson’s estate, was involved in production decisions. In a 2025 Financial Times profile, Branca said he worked to ensure the Michael team supported the estate’s view of Jackson as innocent. “After Leaving Neverland, I sensed a wavering force among the first people attached to the movie,” he said. “And unless you understand that Michael’s innocent, we can’t have you.”
When contacted for comment, Branca responded through his lawyer, Howard Weitzman, stating that the Guardian’s inquiries were “largely premised on a false or highly misleading understanding” of the film’s development and that no response to specific questions was “necessary or appropriate.”
Jackson’s son Prince served as an executive producer. According to a source close to the production, family members and friends, including Jackson’s brother Jermaine, often visited the set. The source claimed director Antoine Fuqua would consult with Jermaine and tried to give the Jackson family as much influence as possible.
At the Berlin premiere this month, much of the Jackson family attended in support, including brothers Jackie, Jermaine, and Marlon, and sons Prince and Bigi. Notably absent were Janet and Paris Jackson. Last year, Paris criticized the film as a “sugar-coated” biopic containing “full-blown lies.” A recent report also stated that Janet Jackson had a strongly negative reaction to an early screening. (Sources say Janet does not appear as a character in the film. Neither Paris nor Janet responded to multiple requests for comment.)
Colman Domingo was also absent from the Berlin premiere. As the cast’s major star, his presence would have lent credibility, but he was rehearsing for Saturday Night Live, where he did not mention the film. On Hot Ones the previous month, he discussed other projects at length, only briefly noting Michael’s release date.
Domingo had been the film’s most vocal cast member, but now appeared more cautious. In September, he said Paris Jackson was “very much in support of our film,” which prompted a sharp public denial from Paris, who stated she had zero involvement.”It’s so strange how they’re claiming I was involved,” she wrote on Instagram. “I read an early draft of the script and shared my concerns about parts that felt dishonest or wrong. When they ignored my feedback, I just moved on.”
When Michael Jackson died in 2009, he was half a billion dollars in debt. In death, however, he has become a golden goose, continually generating wealth. The film Michael is part of a long-term effort by the Jackson estate to build Jackson Inc. into a billion-dollar company. Following the success of the West End show Thriller Live, which ran for 11 years, the estate doubled down with the hugely profitable MJ the Musical. That production has earned over $300 million worldwide from Broadway and touring shows. Despite a public relations hiccup when the show’s writer, Lynn Nottage, said she “didn’t know” if Jackson was a pedophile, the musical largely sidestepped controversy. It even banned a reporter for asking “difficult questions” about Jackson’s child molestation charges on opening night.
Another Jackson tribute, Can You Feel It, opens in London’s West End this May. After selling half of Jackson’s master recordings to Sony for $600 million in 2024, Forbes valued the estate at $3.5 billion last year. “They’ve brilliantly built up a vast amount of capital from a position of debt,” said Reed. “Part of that, obviously, has involved safeguarding his reputation.” (Reed’s documentary Leaving Neverland was removed from HBO Max in 2024 after a settlement with the Jackson estate.)
When questioned in a 2003 Martin Bashir documentary about sleepovers at his Neverland ranch, Jackson called sharing a bed “the most loving thing to do.” The hallway to his bedroom was equipped with a hi-tech security system and an alarm that would sound if anyone approached. Jackson’s bedroom also contained his collection of erotic photos, which forensic experts found bore the fingerprints of boys who had stayed over.
“Jackson and his publicist always tried to frame it as him seeking out children because he felt lonely and misunderstood in the adult world,” Reed said. “You can be a child at heart, but you don’t need to bring children into your bedroom, lock the door, and spend the night with them while barely clothed.”
“Michael Jackson was acquitted by a unanimous jury of 12,” said Singer, the estate’s lawyer, referring to Jackson’s 2005 criminal trial for child molestation. “The estate firmly and unequivocally believes in Michael Jackson’s innocence, just as that unanimous jury did—the only time this issue was formally presented in court.”
Following news of the Cascio lawsuit this February, Lionsgate has intensified its marketing campaign for Michael. This includes expensive novelty billboards, flash mobs in New York and LA, and a pop-up gallery. Cast members Jaafar Jackson, Domingo, Long, and Fuqua have appeared on magazine covers for glossy photoshoots, with upbeat interviews focusing on Jackson’s genius and Jaafar’s intense preparation for the role.
A recent Hypebeast digital cover featuring a joint Q&A with Fuqua and Jaafar felt particularly staged; the feature was billed as “presented by Lionsgate” (magazine code for “the studio paid for this”). Meanwhile, an Essence digital cover briefly mentions Jackson’s alleged abuse but avoids asking the cast tough questions. “Our goal, for me, was to honor Michael in a way that would excite the fans,” Long said. At the time of publication, neither Fuqua nor the cast have been interviewed by a mainstream news outlet, and the film has only been screened for long-lead publications.
Meanwhile, Lionsgate is conThe studio is shaping the narrative by flooding social media with praise from enthusiastic fans who attended early screenings. One tweet reposted on their Instagram declares the film a “MASTERPIECE,” while another calls it “perfect.” Footage from a fan event in Brazil showed an audience moved to tears. Lionsgate also flew a group of influencers to the Berlin premiere, where they posed on the red carpet and raved about the movie online. Social creator and former American Idol finalist Loren Sharice said, “I could have had another two hours easily. Actually, I want a director’s cut with everything they cut out.”
Howard King, the attorney representing the Cascio siblings in their lawsuit against the Jackson estate for child sex trafficking, claims, “The estate will do anything possible to keep the massive cashflow going. I don’t know anything about the biopic other than it’s somewhat of a puff piece: a Melania-like production to glorify Michael Jackson.”
Music biopics have been a Hollywood staple since the 1940s but have surged in popularity recently. When Billboard ranked the highest-grossing music biopics this January, the entire top 10 consisted of post-2000 films with total earnings exceeding $2.4 billion. Despite mixed reviews, estate-approved biopics like Bob Marley: One Love and Bohemian Rhapsody have been hugely successful—the latter earning $900 million and four Oscars. Lately, it seems no pop legend is safe from a sanitized biopic that glosses over the more complicated aspects of their life. Sam Taylor-Johnson’s Back to Black portrayed Amy Winehouse as a fragile victim and softened her father’s image, while the 2024 estate-managed Whitney Houston biopic I Wanna Dance with Somebody felt like a shallow commercial effort, lacking the raw insight of the 2017 documentary Can I Be Me.
In contrast, projects that aim for a more honest look at pop icons often face obstacles. Oscar-winning filmmaker Ezra Edelman spent five years creating a nine-hour documentary about Prince for Netflix, but the streamer shelved it indefinitely after the Prince estate learned it would address allegations of the singer’s physical and emotional abuse. “This is a gift—a nine-hour treatment about an artist that was, by the way, fucking brilliant,” Edelman said. “Everything about who you believe he is is in this movie. You get to bathe in his genius. And yet you also have to confront his humanity.”
In a recent interview, director Antoine Fuqua said his goal for Michael is to reveal the “human being” behind the “superhero.” As the release date nears, audiences will see how far the film is willing to go. However, a source close to the production noted a different attitude during filming: “What everybody was saying when we were on set is, ‘This is to highlight the life of Michael Jackson and all the positive things he did.’”
Paris Jackson commented, “The film panders to a very specific section of my dad’s fandom that still lives in a fantasy, and they’re going to be happy with it. The thing about these biopics is it’s Hollywood. It’s fantasy land—it’s not real. But it’s sold to you as real … the narrative is being controlled, and there’s a lot of inaccuracy, and there’s a lot of just full-blown lies.”
That “fantasy” may still captivate audiences. Michael is projected to open with close to $200 million, and Lionsgate is already planning a sequel. “It kind of fills me with horror, the degree to which everyone can turn a blind eye to the fact that this guy was a bit of a monster,” said one observer. “So many people join in the cover-up. There’s this bubble in Hollywood which is like: ‘Dude, are you insane? What are you doing?’”g, trying to tarnish Michael Jackson’s name. It’s Michael fucking Jackson. Do you have any idea how valuable that is?
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about a new Michael Jackson biopic designed to cover a range of perspectives and questions a real person might have
General Beginner Questions
Q Is there actually a new Michael Jackson movie coming out
A Yes A major biopic titled Michael is in production directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Jaafar Jackson as the King of Pop Its scheduled for release in April 2025
Q What is a biopic
A A biopic is a movie that dramatizes the real life of a historical person Its not a documentary its a scripted film that tells their story through actors and cinematic storytelling often focusing on key events and emotions
Q Will this movie cover his whole life
A The film is expected to span his entire life from his childhood in Gary Indiana with the Jackson 5 through his rise to global superstardom and his later years
Q Who is making this movie Is it official
A Yes it is an official authorized film It is being produced with the full cooperation of the Michael Jackson estate which controls his music image and life rights This means the estate has significant influence over the story told
Perspective Impact Questions
Q Can this film really make me see Michael Jackson differently
A Its possible A powerful film can humanize its subject showing their struggles motivations and personal side in a way that news headlines or music videos might not It could deepen your understanding of the pressures he faced or reframe how you view certain events in his life
Q Will the movie address the controversial allegations against him
A The producers have stated the film will cover all aspects of his life including the difficult times However because the estate is involved many observers expect it to present his side of the story and likely defend his innocence regarding the child abuse allegations
Q I already have a strong opinion about him Will this movie change my mind
A It depends on how open you are to a new portrayal If youre a fan it may reinforce your positive view If youre skeptical it may not fully address your concerns given the estates involvement The films power will be in its emotional storytelling which
