The premiere of "Leaving Neverland," a documentary that brought to light Wade Robson and James Safechuck's child sexual-abuse allegations against pop icon Michael Jackson, was met with unprecedented security measures, including bomb-sniffing dogs, at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival due to terroristic threats from Jackson loyalists. The film details a cycle of alleged abuse that began when Robson and Safechuck were 7 and 10 years old, respectively, in the late '80s and early '90s. They recount how Jackson allegedly used gifts, isolation from parents, and even a mock wedding to groom them, subjecting them to various sex acts. Despite previous multi-million dollar settlements with other accusers like Jordan Chandler and Jason Francia, Jackson could not silence Robson and Safechuck, whose testimonies left a profound impact on the audience.

In stark contrast, Antoine Fuqua's new biopic "Michael," produced by the Jackson estate, presents a narrative that portrays Jackson as a victim—a harmless Peter Pan figure whose own childhood was stolen by a domineering father. The film conveniently concludes in 1988, predating Chandler's abuse allegations, and has become a box-office smash, grossing $219 million in its opening weekend. This portrayal has infuriated Dan Reed, the award-winning director of "Leaving Neverland," who aired his grievances with the film. Reed found the adult Jackson, played by his nephew Jaafar, to be a "wooden" performance lacking insight into the artist, describing him as an "asexual plastic action doll" with a poor script.

Reed vehemently criticized the biopic for distorting Jackson's relationship with children, depicting him primarily visiting sick children in hospitals, which he found "icky." This, according to Reed, suggests Jackson's interactions with children were solely benign and philanthropic, omitting the darker dimension of his story, much like the public perception of Jeffrey Epstein or Harvey Weinstein. The film, Reed argues, essentially portrays Robson, Safechuck, and other accusers as liars without explicitly stating it, by suggesting Jackson's fondness for children stemmed from an angelic nature rather than sexual predation. Furthermore, the biopic casts Jackson’s security guard, Bill Bray, as a hero, a direct contradiction to "Leaving Neverland" where Robson and Safechuck allege that Jackson’s security guards were complicit in the abuse, at times waiting outside the door while the alleged acts occurred. Reed described the biopic as flipping the truth on its head, making it an implausible counter-narrative to his documentary, despite being intended as a retort.

The Jackson estate's efforts to protect his legacy through musicals and films that sidestep the abuse allegations, especially by conveniently ending the biopic in the '80s, highlights a continuous attempt to avoid accountability. Reed emphasized the undisputed fact that Jackson spent long periods with small-boy companions, including taking them into his bed at night and locking the door. He argued that this alone, if claimed in court, could lead to a conviction for child sexual abuse, yet in Jackson's case, such facts seem to be disregarded. The rationale from ardent defenders, that Jackson's own robbed childhood justified his sleeping alone with children, baffles Reed. He contends that Jackson, with immense power and charisma, compensated for his difficult childhood by "stealing the childhoods of his young companions," and that this defense simply "doesn’t stack up." A potential reason for the omission of Jordan Chandler’s allegations in the film could be a clause in Jackson's settlement with Chandler preventing such depiction, though Reed notes this doesn't apply to Robson and Safechuck who never reached a settlement.

Despite critical disinterest, "Michael" saw massive public attendance and a 95% increase in Jackson's streaming numbers, reflecting what Reed describes as Jackson's status as an "American myth." He suggests that Jackson has metastasized into something larger than his actual self, becoming part of a collective imagination that cannot include the fact of him being a pedophile. To the culture, Jackson is akin to a religion, and acknowledging the abuse would require fans to accept that their childhood heroes were a lie. Reed, in making "Leaving Neverland," essentially committed "blasphemy," while the biopic reinstates this myth of an "asexual, pure being who only wished good for little children."

Reed explained that his motivation to cover Robson and Safechuck's story stemmed from a conversation with television executive Daniel Pearl, who challenged him to make a film without a high body count. After initial disinterest in Jackson, Reed discovered the lawsuits filed by Robson and Safechuck, recognizing an opportunity to bring unrepresented accusers' stories to light. His jaw dropped during his first interview with Wade Robson, leading him to understand the predatory grooming process and aligning his work with conveying the devastating impact of such conflicts.

Reed's belief in Wade and James' credibility was forged through extensive interviews, initial skepticism, and rigorous analysis of their stories for inconsistencies. He delved into tens of thousands of pages of documents from investigations into Jackson in 1993 (Jordan Chandler accusations) and 2005 (criminal trial), interviewing detectives, prosecutors, and judiciary members. This research, combined with substantial corroborative evidence, solidified his conviction that they were telling the truth, and he has never found anything to cast doubt on their claims.

Addressing common defenses from Jackson's supporters, Reed dismantled the arguments regarding Robson's initial defense of Jackson and the accusers' alleged financial motivation. He clarified that Robson's initial defense was a key component of the "Leaving Neverland" narrative, demonstrating the grooming process where a child defends their abuser until a later realization of the abuse. Reed stated that Robson and Safechuck have never made a penny from the film or anything else associated with Jackson, contrasting this with the millions earned by the biopic's director, Antoine Fuqua, and the Jackson estate. Reed criticized Fuqua's comment that "sometimes people do nasty things for money," calling Fuqua's own actions in pushing a false narrative around a pedophile a "nasty thing."

Reed also clarified his previous statement that Jackson was "worse than Epstein," explaining it as a distinction based on the age of the victims. While acknowledging Epstein's widespread political contamination and abuse of many minors, Reed emphasized that the sexual abuse of "very young children from the age of 7, 8, 9 years old is in a slightly different category to the abuse of teenagers or pre-teenagers." He stated that brutalizing and raping such young, vulnerable children makes one a "special kind of evildoer."

On the complicity of parents, Reed explains that they, like the children, were groomed and seduced. Jackson did not target strong, well-adjusted families but rather those that were "weak and easily to manipulate." While he faults the mothers, he doesn’t blame them, recognizing that they were drawn into a "web of deceit" by a powerful man with "God-like status" in the entertainment world, against whom ordinary suburban women stood little chance.

Regarding the Cascio siblings, who recently came forward claiming abuse by Jackson, Reed expressed pause due to their initial move to ask the estate for money after "Leaving Neverland" was released, contrasting this with Wade and James' refusal to seek payoffs or trade silence for money. While not doubting they were abused, as they fit Jackson's pattern, Reed found their case "strange" given their deeper and longer involvement in Jackson's inner circle, prompting questions about the timing of their disclosure.

The premiere of "Leaving Neverland" itself was an intense experience. Aside from bomb threats and the presence of SWAT teams and numerous police cars, the emotional weight for Wade and James was immense. The audience's visible sobbing and subsequent eruption into applause became a life-changing, cathartic, and validating moment for the accusers, confirming that their story was being believed and taken seriously.

Reed dismissed many of the online "Michael Jackson truthers" as paid bots, noting that numerous threatening Twitter accounts and emails were newly created with bot-like handles. While acknowledging genuine fans also sent threats, the bulk were fake. He revealed that someone paid a private investigator to obtain his personal bank account details, phone number, and phone logs by posing as him, though he doesn't know who funded this operation.

Wade and James have exchanged brief text messages with Reed regarding the biopic. They are "not fans of the film" and have no plans to watch it, instead releasing messages expressing solidarity with other victims, as their abuser is being celebrated through a hugely successful movie. "Leaving Neverland" was removed from HBO platforms due to a non-disparagement clause in a 1992 contract between HBO and Michael Jackson. The Jackson estate's lawyers pushed for arbitration, leading to an amicable settlement where HBO removed the film. Consequently, "Leaving Neverland" remains inaccessible in the United States and Canada until HBO's license expires in 2029, though it is available elsewhere. Its sequel, "Leaving Neverland 2," a more modest film intended to keep the story alive, was relegated to YouTube due to HBO's inability to consider it.

Reed lauded Oprah Winfrey for her unwavering support for Wade and James during her "After Neverland" special, noting she chose to stand with them because she recognized the picture of child sexual abuse painted in the film from her own direct experience, even at the cost of alienating some followers. Conversely, Reed dismissed Joe Rogan's dismissive response to the film and his repetition of unsubstantiated claims, such as Dr. Conrad Murray's assertion of Michael Jackson's chemical castration. Reed labeled such comments as "intellectually sloppy" and "weak-minded bullshit," reiterating the rock-solid credibility of his film and the accusers.

The trial for Wade and James is tentatively set for November 2026, or "next year" as Reed indicates. He strongly believes it will proceed, citing a "very, very compelling" appeal court's verdict from "Leaving Neverland 2" that indicated a trial would take place. Reed anticipates a "gusher of evidence and witnesses" against Jackson, making it difficult for the defense to contradict. He confirmed his intention to cover the trial, potentially as "Leaving Neverland 3."