Brittany Luce

Michael, a glossy, estate-approved biopic directed by Antoine Fuqua, is headed for theaters this month.

Big stars are involved.

Coman Domingo and Nia Long are playing Joe and Katherine Jackson.

And Michael's own nephew, Jafar Jackson, Jermaine's kid, has been cast to channel his uncle's persona.

Spread love, joy, and peace.

That is what I want the world to feel.

Magic.

He's big on Broadway, too.

The hit Tony-winning show MJ the Musical has been filling seats since 2021.

It focuses on Jackson's artistry and less on his biggest controversies, which makes it even harder to feel leaving Neverland's impact, if there was any at all.

Artist biopics, especially ones that come authorized by their subjects or their subjects' estates, are usually meant to function as a legacy reset.

Obviously, there's the financial incentive.

Send those old songs back up the charts, sell more merch, etc.

But there's also an intent to cement a narrative about creative genius and individual triumph.

Ultimately, the point is to make you admire them, even if that means sanitizing the truth.

Michael Jackson's especially tricky to try to sanitize, and his public persona has always ebbed and flowed.

And I have to wonder if it's even possible to start over again with him.

What even is his legacy now?

I'm Aisha Harris, and on this special episode of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, we're talking about Michael Jackson, the many stories that have been told about his life, and the mythical spell he still seems to cast today.

We'll be right back after the break.