Following the box office success and extremely positive audience reception of Michael, the recent Michael Jackson biopic, the Year of Michael continues, this time with Netflix documentary airing on June 3. Pitchfork reports that Michael Jackson: The Verdict will feature never-seen interviews with jurors and observers of Jackson’s 2005 child sex abuse trial.
The three-part docuseries is directed by Nick Green and executive produced by Fiona Stourton, who will offer a nonbiased, historical account of the facts as they unfolded in the courtroom. In addition to featuring courtroom eyewitnesses, the docuseries will recap the People v. Michael Jackson trial. The trial, held in California, was the first and only time Jackson went to court to contest the allegations against him, largely fueled by the 2003 documentary Living With Michael Jackson, in which 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo came forward with allegations of abuse. Jackson faced up to 20 years in prison if found guilty but was acquitted after 14 weeks in court.
Despite being one of the most-followed trials of all time, cameras were not allowed in the courtroom, so the public’s view of the facts at the time were “filtered by commentators and presented piecemeal,” the filmmakers say. They intend to instead offer a forensic look at the trial as a whole.
The three-part series will feature key courtroom witnesses and jurors from both accusers and defenders, dissecting the case against Jackson from the perspectives of the prosecution and defense.
Watch the trailer here:
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