A Lionsgate executive has shown rocketing confidence in the company’s upcoming movie. Jim Packer, the president of worldwide television distribution at Lionsgate, has made a bold statement. Lionsgate, which holds credit for iconic franchises such as The Hunger Games, John Wick, and Twilight, has been working on a biopic of the American singer-songwriter and dancer Michael Jackson.
Set for an April 2025 release, Michael’s development began in 2017. It was officially announced in 2019, but its shooting, which was set to start in 2023, did not begin until January this year because of the industry-wide SAG-AFTRA strike.
Despite the delays, the company has now revealed that Michael Jackson is going to be the biggest film they have ever made. We don’t know if it’s confidence or, well, overconfidence, but one thing is for sure: the film has generated buzz already.
In an investor conference, Jim Packer said,
The buzz that we’re getting every time a photo gets released is kind of crazy. And I think that’ll be the biggest movie we’ve ever had.
Moreover, in a webcast at the Gabelli Media & Entertainment Symposium, he also talked about the intellectual property factor, referencing The Hunger Games.
It’s clear it’s going to be an IP-focused company. It’s going to produce, distribute, film and TV.
We’ve taken that franchise and it doesn’t map to Harry Potter, but from a financial standpoint and an IP standpoint, it’s as important to us as Harry Potter is to Warner Bros.
As soon as netizens heard Packer’s statement, they started giving mixed responses. While many people expressed their eagerness to dive into an unbiased tale of Michael Jackson’s life, many did not agree with Packer. People said that there’s no way it could be their biggest movie considering they have been behind franchises like Rambo, Twilight, and John Wick. Also, it is not the 1980s anymore.
I doubt it. So they are saying it’ll be bigger than hunger games the saw franchise. John wick. Twilight and Rambo ? I totally doubt it. This is wishful thinking. It won’t be bigger than those films.
— carl peachey 🇺🇸 (@carlpeachey8) June 6, 2024
