Leaving Neverland, Dan Reed's two-part documentary film, has totally divided the public on the subject of Michael Jackson's legacy.
The documentary examines the testimonies of two alleged victims: Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who claim that they were groomed and repeatedly sexually abused by the Thriller star repeatedly over a period of some years.
As a result of the controversy provoked by the movie, social media users have split into two camps. There are those who believe the allegations made by Robson and Safechuck, and who think that Michael Jackson was indeed a predatory paedophile and groomer, while the other camp believes that the allegations have been fabricated for the sake of a substantial lawsuit.
However, in a recent interview with the movie site Film School Rejects via MSN News, Reed revealed that there were other facets of Michael Jackson's story that he wasn't able to tell, and that he actually wants to revisit the subject in a follow-up documentary.
Reed stated:
"Oh yeah, I would love to do that. The film I would really like to make following this one is the trial of Michael Jackson. I could only do that if the victim and his family participate. It would be a much weaker film [if they didn’t.] I don’t want to follow ‘Leaving Neverland’ with a weaker film."
"If Gavin Arvizo and his family would agree to participate, I would very much like to tell the story of that trial. I think it’s fascinating and astonishing that Michael was acquitted. The way that happened is an amazing story and one that should be told. But no, I’m not going to just carry on making Michael Jackson films, that’s not my thing."
He added;
"I shot interviews with LAPD and Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department who investigated. I had a great interview with the main prosecutor, the deputy DA from the 2005 trial. We hadn’t put those in because I had a strong feeling it needed to remain a claustrophobic story about two families."
"This was unseen and unheard and the first time Michael’s victims had really spoken out in any detail to the press about what happened.I thought that was an extraordinary new thing we have, and the other extraordinary thing we have is this sort of 360-degree insight into the family’s ordeal once the information about the abuse was disclosed. It becomes a drama."
Arvizo and Jackson met when Arvizo was 10, while he was suffering from a rare form of cancer. Jackson heard about Arvizo, and sent him a basket of toys and an invitation to the Neverland ranch. Arvizo visited Jackson with his family, but in 2003 he testified against the singer, claiming that Jackson plied him with alcohol, showed him pornography, and then sexually abused him.