A sequel to the 'Leaving Neverland' documentary is underway despite legal challenges
Years after Michael Jackson's passing, there are still some legal issues being dealt with which might effect the sequel of the 'Leaving Neverland' documentary. It appears to be a never ending battle.
It seem as though Jackson's companies - MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures - are attempting to block the sequel documentary from coming to life, and have issued subpoenas ordering the sequel director Dan Reed to hand over his footage.
Read: Michael Jackson – Music genius vs alleged monster molester?
The first documentary alleges that the late great Michael Jackson was a child abuser and it caused a bit of of an uproar. The film recounted the stories of two men who claim that Jackson sexually abused them when they were still children. Reed was the director of the first documentary and he is adamant on continuing his work.
Reed recently filed a 79-page motion to quash the subpoena he received, outlining the fact he has no affiliation to Robson or Safechuck and has even asked MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures' counsel, Howard Weitzman, to appear in the sequel.
Reed added:
The follow-up documentary for which I am currently filming in these cases is about current events taking place partly in public view and will be an unfolding narrative with multiple points of view.
With everything that happened and how the first documentary painted the late Micheal Jackson, it is understandable that the MJJ companies are not happy with 'Leaving Neverland' or the making of the follow-up documentary.
Anyone can see why the family or the MJJ companies would be against the public seeing or viewing a follow up of the documentary, as it is wasn't all sweets and roses. It had a lot of people questioning him and his whole life as a public figure.
But with that said, it's really hard to make Reed not continue with his work because it's his freedom of expression and creativity.
In the UK, as in the United States, the courts are very reluctant to order journalists to hand over material because they are protected my law. There are legal protections that exist to protect freedom of expression.
The hearing on Reed's motion to quash the subpoenas is scheduled for 9 April 2021.
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