Neverland Ranch Serves as Filming Location for Michael Jackson Biopic

Neverland Ranch, the infamous property once owned by the late pop icon Michael Jackson, has become the backdrop for an upcoming biopic about the King of Pop. Approximately 300 individuals were granted permission to gather at the Santa Ynez, California estate in April for the film shoot, as revealed by film permit records reviewed by SF Gate. The permits allowed for various activities, including dialogue scenes, petting zoom shots, stunts, and the use of helicopters.

Titled “Michael” and directed by Antoine Fuqua, the biopic features Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson’s nephew, portraying the iconic musician. The film is scheduled for release in April 2025.

Neverland Ranch has long been associated with controversial allegations against Michael Jackson, who passed away at the age of 50 in 2009 due to an acute drug overdose. In 2005, Jackson faced 14 charges, including seven counts of child molestation and two counts of providing alcohol to a minor in a child sex abuse investigation. However, he was acquitted of all charges in June of that year, after which he ceased visiting Neverland.

In 2020, billionaire Ron Burkle, a former associate of Jackson and co-founder of investment firm Yucaipa Companies, purchased the Los Olivos property for $22 million. This price marked a significant reduction from its initial listing in 2015, when it was offered for a staggering $100 million. Spanning approximately 2,700 acres, the estate boasts a 12,000-square-foot mansion equipped with a 50-seat movie theater, a basketball court, and multiple guesthouses.

During its time on the market, Neverland Ranch was renamed Sycamore Valley Ranch in an apparent attempt to distance the property from its troubling past. However, the new name failed to gain traction. In 2016, reports emerged claiming that Jackson had a secret closet within Neverland Ranch, triple-locked and allegedly filled with photographs of naked boys and children’s toys. Three years later, the documentary “Leaving Neverland” shed light on the accounts of Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who claimed to have been sexually abused by Jackson as children at the ranch and other locations.