Things have been a little quieter in MJ World over the last 12 months. There’s been a lot less activity in terms of releases – can you believe Motown only released ONE re-issue this year?! We finally FINALLY got the Thriller 40 documentary, and MJ The Musical has expanded its reach with announcements of new territories for 2024 and beyond. There was also an Immersive experience to mark Michael Jackson’s Birthday and updates on the biopic. Here’s our top picks for Michael Jackson – 2023 Year In Review.
The year started on an incredibly sad note as Lisa Marie Presley passed away suddenly at the age of 54. Presley, the only child of Elvis Presley was also married to Michael in 1994. The couple stayed married for 18 months and reports suggest they remained in contact after divorcing.
Brad Sundberg’s In The Studio session in Brussels, Belgium was the scene of a major incident after a thief stole a laptop and hard drive containing Michael’s unreleased material, stems, footage and demos. The thief entered the seminar room during a break and stole the laptop that had been left unattended. The laptop was later returned but the contents was uploaded to the internet and creating a serious debate over Michael’s unreleased material.
It is confirmed that Michael Jackson’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson will play Michael in the upcoming biopic. Katherine Jackson is quoted on the appointment as saying “Jaafar embodies my son. It’s so wonderful to see him carry on the Jackson legacy of entertainers and performers.”
Variety reports that the Estate are considering the possibility of selling Michael’s Catalogue. Following a recent trend of high profile artists parting with their assets, the reports come as no surprise that Michael’s Estate who have in recent years parted ways with Michael’s stake in Sony ATV, and Neverland and watched some of Michael’s iconic costumes be sold around the world, would be interested in yet another top up to the bank balance.
Though little has transpired in the public domain since this initial report, this is one to watch in 2024. Michael fought to keep hold of his own catalogue.
DJ Kygo officially releases his remix of Say Say Say ft Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney. The remix gained recognition on the festival circuit in 2022 and was finally given the green light for release.
New photos reveal several rides have been installed at Neverland. Alongside the rides, the Teepee village has returned and a train is in place at the depot. Burkle has been known to feature rides at the ranch for private events and speculation of their arrival also extends to potential filming of the biopic.
Bubbles turned 40 and had a celebration fit for a quadragenarian. With a cake, banners and his name in Blueberries the ‘party’ was decorated with tubs of bubbles and paper bubbles. Director of the Center for Great Apes where Bubbles lives noted that Bubbles paid close attention to who had come to celebrate him – “He just wanted to see who was visiting,” she said. “He came and looked at all the staff that had come to be there for the party.”
They Don’t Care About Us (Brazilian Version) Short Film hits one billion views on Youtube, placing Michael in the ‘Billion-View Club’ for the second time.
It is announced that Broadway star Myles Frost will step back into the role of Michael Jackson when MJ The Musical opens in London in March 2024. Frost won a Tony award for his Broadway performance.
TV Special ‘Motown 25: Yesterday, Today and Forever turns 40. Now, no disrespect to the other performers, but it may as well have been called Michael Jackson Performance + Motown celebration because it was a pop culture defining moment as Michael performed Billie Jean on stage. Having been filmed earlier in the year, the TV Special’s airing was watched by 47 million viewers.
Michael Jackson One celebrates its 10th Anniversary at The Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Delighting audiences for a decade, the show first opened on June 29, 2013. To mark the occasion, a special range of 10th Anniversary Merchandise was released alongside a special pop-up performance in the lobby.
KISS FM Spain dedicates a day to Michael Jackson to celebrate his life and career. Michael’s greatest hits are played throughout the day, culminating in a 2-hour special with presenter Enrique Marron who counts down his Top 25 Michael Jackson songs.
After numerous attempts to sell Michael Jackson’s Bronze Collection from Neverland, the statues once again go up for auction. Back in 2021 it was hoped the collection could be sold in its entirety for $2.5 million. However the collection returned to auction this year, with each statue available to purchase individually.
Boxer Albert Ochoa paid tribute to Michael Jackson on the 24th June with a custom made pair of MJ inspired boxing shoes and Boxing shorts. Ochoa went on to win his fight against Xavier Long.
It is revealed that the fedora reportedly worn by Michael during his historic Motown 25 performance will go up for auction in September. The fedora is expected to fetch up to €100,000 when it goes on sale in Paris.
Smooth Criminal took to the waters as the USA Women’s Water Acrobatic Team won Bronze in the World Aquatics Championships with a routine set to Michael’s mega hit! The team had MJ themed swim suits and demonstrated how Michael’s music transcends all skills and genres.
The Wiz returns to Netflix in the US. The initial box office disappointment has become a cult classic, beloved by people of all ages.
The Annual Michael Jackson Birthday Celebration takes place in Las Vegas. Titled ‘Blue Sapphire Celebration’ in honour of Michael’s 65th Birthday, a special Immersive Experience was opened featuring interactive elements from Smooth Criminal, Earth Song, You Rock My World and Billie Jean. In addition, the usual, and frankly tired Michael Bush book signing took place. Estate Archivist, Paralegal, Executive Producer, Merchandiser, Designer host Karen Langford spent an hour interviewing Myles Frost about his life, in what was supposed to be a celebration of Michael Jackson’s life.
MJ The Musical US National Tour kicks off in Chicago on August 1st. Starting Roman Banks as Michael Jackson, the musical has some slight adaptations to the staging of Broadway version to make the show suitable for touring.
In honour of Michael’s birthday, numerous events organised by fans take place all around the world.
Director Jerry Kramer passes away. For Michael, Kramer directed “The Making of Thriller”, “Moonwalker”, “Speed Demon” and “Leave Me Alone”.
Kramer had been in conversation to appear in documentary ‘Walking On The Moon’ which goes behind the scenes of the creation of Moonwalker.
MJ The Musical announces it will arrive in Germany in Autumn 2024. Finding its home in Hamburg, the musical theatre wasn’t confirmed as part of the announcement.
The Black American Music Association announces the establishment of the Michael Jackson Icon Award as part of their brand new ‘ICE Medal of Honor Celebration’. Standing for Imperial Crown of Excellence, the unique Michael Jackson named award will be given at future ceremonies.
Queen of Pop Madonna kicks off her Celebration Tour and features a special tribute to Michael Jackson. Set to a mix of The Way You Make Me Feel, Billie Jean and Like A Virgin, the homage includes silhouettes of Michael and Madonna dancing together with photos of the pair on the screens either side.
Kingvention – The Michael Jackson fan convention returns to London in a new home on a new date. Attended by over 400 fans throughout the weekend, this year’s event welcomed Rupert Wainwright, Nicholas Pike, Cindera Che and Craig Lamont Parks to the stage.
Walking On The Moon, a special documentary about Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker premieres on the 35th Anniversary of the film’s release. Directed by Pez Jax, the documentary features brand new interviews with over 16 contributors to the movie including Director Colin Chilvers, Choreographer Vincent Paterson, Costume Designer Betty Madden and more.
Unseen polaroid photos from the Thriller album cover shoot are revealed ahead of an auction on December 9, 2023. The polarMJ Theoids were taken by photographer Dick Zimmerman and form part of an auction of items from the photographer.
Following They Don’t Care About Us reaching one billion views on YouTube in April, Beat It reaches the same achievement, giving Michael three short films with over a billion views. The feat makes Michael the first solo artist of the 20th century to accomplish this.
After their final outing at Kingvention, Michael Jackson’s Pepsi Jacket and Spike Rabbit Speed Demon costume went up for auction and sold. The Pepsi jacket sold for £250k while Spike raced off for £25k.
Latin American dancers Giovanni Cavallo and Maldivia won a Silver medal at The World Championship of South American Show Dance with a complex Michael Jackson themed routine.
After more than a year since its premiere, Thriller 40 documentary finally makes its debut on Paramount Plus and Showtime. While featuring several rare moments and unseen clips of Michael, the general consensus from fans is that the documentary doesn’t do enough to full explore the World’s Biggest Selling Album.
MJ The Musical – Tour edition arrives in Hollywood and will play at the Pantages Theatre until late January 2024. The theatre was previously the film set for Michael’s You Are Not Alone short film. In honour of the show’s residency, The Estate and Sony music organised a red carpet for stars of the show, b-list celebrities, online ‘influencers’ and some of Michael’s former colleagues and friends.
Walmart releases an exclusive Blue Vinyl ‘Jackson 5: Icon’ – A best of featuring the greatest hits of the Jackson 5.
As the franchise expands, it is announced that MJ The Musical will head down under, opening in Sydney, Australia in February 2025. It’s unclear at this stage who the cast will be.
So there it is – your official run down for 2023. What can we expect for the year ahead? Off The Wall will turn 45, but it’s doubtful the Estate will do another celebration release for this. The Michael Jackson biopic will begin production with Jaafar Jackson in the lead role. MJ The Musical lands in London and Germany. But as always, as always, Michael Jackson fans will no doubt be leading the charge in the year ahead, celebrating his work and inspiring us.
Can you make one for The Jacksons songs please?