MICHAEL

*CUT TO THE CHASE*

NOTE: This spoiler was submitted by Jeremy

1966, Gary, Indiana – A young Michael Jackson (Juliano Krue Valdi) joins his older brothers Jermaine (Jayden Harville, later Jamal R. Henderson), Marlon (Jaylen Lyndon Hunter, later Tre Horton), Tito (Judah Edwards, later Rhyan Hill), and Jackie (Nathaniel Logan McIntyre, later Joseph David-Jones) to play music and sing under the strict tutelage of their father Joseph (Colman Domingo). They also live with their mother Katherine (Nia Long) and sister LaToya (Jessica Sula). Joseph is set on making a success out of his boys due to his frustrations with the way they currently live.

Over the next few years, the Jackson brothers perform at shows with Michael at the front singing. Although they do a good job, Joseph wants them to keep practicing and not take breaks. When Michael speaks up after one show, Joseph beats him with a belt in front of everyone else. Michael escapes into stories like “Peter Pan” and wishes he were like his hero.

Joseph dubs his sons “The Jackson 5” and has them performing at other venues until they are spotted by Suzanne de Passe (Laura Harrier), who works for Motown. She meets Joseph about signing the boys. The Jacksons go to Motown and meet producer and Motown president Berry Gordy (Larenz Tate). When Michael is in the recording booth, Berry tells him to keep still since he likes to move his feet when singing. Michael’s feet remain still but his body continues to move as he sings. The Jackson 5 come out with classic hits like “I Want You Back” and “ABC”, while Michael views Berry as more of a father figure than Joseph.

1978, Los Angeles – Michael (now played by Jaafar Jackson) meets with Quincy Jones (Kendrick Sampson) as he begins working on his latest album, “Off The Wall”. Michael asks the executives to make it seem like his solo album was his idea when discussing it with Joseph. He later records “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” in the studio with Quincy. By now, Michael has a huge number of fans who swoon upon seeing him, but he also uses his fame to visit sick children. He also rescues a chimp named Bubbles from an unsafe environment. Michael is also set up with a bodyguard named Bill Bray (KeiLyn Durrel Jones).

Michael becomes insecure about his appearance after he develops vitiligo on his skin, and he also gets a rhinoplasty to make his nose more slender. When Joseph sees him, Michael says it was for his sinuses.

Joseph continues to try and control his sons’ careers, seeing himself as the reason they have any success at all. When it becomes clear Michael doesn’t want to go along with his plans for a family tour, Joseph tries to guilt him until he walks out and leaves with Bill, being greeted by a mob of fans outside the gates. They stop somewhere, where Michael expresses love for his family but also a desire for creative freedom. Michael ends up joining his brothers on the Triumph Tour.

1981 – Michael and Bill meet with a group of men at a record company, including entertainment lawyer John Branca (Miles Teller), who has handled acts like The Beach Boys. When Michael sees that Branca is set on letting him do his own thing creatively, Michael immediately agrees to work with Branca. His first act is to have Branca fire Joseph as manager via fax. When Joseph shows this to Katherine and threatens to “whup” Michael, Katherine says he is too old and frail to be whupping anybody.

As Michael and Branca begin working on his next album, Michael aims for it to be the biggest album ever. He looks for inspiration and sees a news report on the rising gang violence between the Crips and Bloods. He gathers people at the studio to shoot the “Beat It” music video as a way to bring others together.

The album gets further into development with tracks like “Billie Jean” and “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'”. Michael and Branca have trouble settling on a title for the album until they land on “Thriller”, due to Michael’s fascination with horror films like the ones featuring Vincent Price. The two go to visit Walter Yetnikoff (Mike Myers), president of CBS Records, to try and get the video for “Billie Jean” to play on MTV, but Walter thinks it’s a tough sell because MTV doesn’t want to play black artists. At Michael and Branca’s urging, Walter calls the MTV president and threatens to pull all of CBS’s artists (which includes Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, and Cyndi Lauper) from MTV. The video quickly gets played, and Michael’s star continues to rise.

At a party to celebrate the success of “Thriller” (which indeed does become the highest selling album of all time), Michael reunites with Suzanne and Berry, both proud of his success, as well as his mother and brothers…and a loud, drunken Joseph. Joseph later sits with boxing promoter Don King (Deon Cole) to discuss setting the Jacksons up for another tour, with Michael at the center of things. Joseph manages to guilt Michael into agreeing to the tour so that he does not disappoint his family.

Michael joins his brothers in shooting a commercial for Pepsi. Things take a bad turn when the stage pyrotechnics go off and set Michael’s hair on fire. He is rushed to the hospital, where he is told that the back of his scalp will suffer permanent damage. All Joseph cares about is if Michael will be good to hit the stage again in no time.

Michael recovers with help and support from Katherine and Branca. When he is ready to go back to performing, he joins his brothers on their Victory Tour, but on their final night, Michael announces that this will be their last tour, despite Joseph’s intentions to go worldwide. Katherine smiles proudly as she hears the announcement. Michael performs “Human Nature” and walks past Joseph, who tries to get Michael to reconsider, but Bill makes it clear that Michael is done with Joseph.

1985, London – Michael goes to Wembley Stadium as he starts his Bad Tour and performs “Bad” in front of a huge cheering crowd.

The final text promises that Michael’s story will continue.

The film is a look at the life of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, from his early childhood beginnings to the high point of his career.

Michael and his brothers are formed to be a music group by their abusive father Joseph. They become the Jackson 5 and achieve great success, but Michael becomes even bigger when he makes it as a solo artist. After making his album "Off The Wall", he continues to perform with his brothers, but he wants to cut Joseph's influence out of his life and work on his creative freedom. Michael works with entertainment lawyer John Branca and develops "Thriller", which becomes the biggest album of all time.

Joseph guilts Michael into doing another tour with his brothers. During the filming of a Pepsi commercial, an accident causes Michael's hair to catch fire. After recovering, Michael joins his brothers but says it will be their last tour on their final night, despite Joseph's intentions to go worldwide. Michael effectively severs ties with Joseph.

The film ends with Michael performing in London during the Bad Tour, with the promise that more of his story will be told.