The Michael Jackson documentary “Leaving Neverland” is officially getting a sequel.
An hour-long follow-up film, subtitled “Surviving Michael Jackson,” will debut on the U.K.’s Channel 4 on March 18, Variety has confirmed. The sequel will catch up with Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who accused the King of Pop of sexually abusing them when they were minors. Jackson denied the allegations during his lifetime, and his estate continues to do so.
HBO, which produced the two-part 2019 doc, is not involved in the sequel. In 2020, HBO lost a legal battle against the Jackson estate, which sued the cabler for $100 million and argued that “Leaving Neverland” violated a 27-year-old non-disparagement clause from a 1992 concert film from the “Dangerous” tour.
Directed by Dan Reed, “Leaving Neverland 2” will explore the personal toll on Robson and Safechuck after they went public with accusations against Jackson. The two men continue to seek justice as they face backlash from his global army of fans. With “exclusive access to court hearings,” the film promises to “show the extent to which the Jackson estate has fought to prevent James and Wade from having their day in court.”
Jackson faced multiple allegations of child sexual abuse throughout his career and faced criminal charges that led to a highly publicized trial in 2005. He denied all allegations and was found not guilty on all counts.
“Leaving Neverland 2” is produced by Reed via his production company Amos Pictures. Marguerite Gaudin is the producer, while Peter Haddon and Ben Hills served as editors. Iris Maor was head of production, and Adam Vandermark is the Channel 4 commissioner. Sphere Abacus is handling international sales.
The 2019 original film won an Emmy for best documentary or nonfiction special, as well as a BAFTA TV award for best factual series.
