While Leaving Neverland has generated tons of speculative interest, only a fringe minority who were invited to advanced screenings have actually seen the documentary. In the wake of the other film projects like Fyre Fraud and Surviving R. Kelly, illustrating the fall from grace of a polarizing public figure, the buildup to Leaving Neverland has become painstaking to Michael Jackson defenders and detractors alike.
Even though Michael Jackson was acquitted of child sexual abuse accusations in 1993, the film's producers have seemingly re-opened with the "King of Pop" clearly unavailable to speak on his behalf. The two-part documentary will premiere on Channel 4 in the UK, and HBO in the United States and bordering states, within the same timeframe during the first week of March.
And although MJ was acquitted of any wrongdoing in 1993, a second wave of accusations put forward by a then-13-year-old threatened his resolve once more. But again, MJ was once again found "not guilty" of any wrongdoing some ten years later. For that reason, Leaving Neverland is commonly viewed under two lines: 1) a means to restorative justice, or 2) a media spectacle like no other. The hype the film has generated thus far has Michael Jackson's own nephew reaching for crowdsourced funding, so he can file a documentary response on behalf of his family and the MJ estate.