EXCLUSIVE: Neverland director Dan Reed is embroiled in a lawsuit with Michael Jackson’s legacy business as he attempts to direct a sequel to his explosive, Emmy-winning Channel 4 / HBO documentary.
The deadline may reveal that Reed filmed in the Los Angeles Supreme Court when Wade Robson and James Safechuck, the two men at the center of Leaving Neverland, made separate claims against MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures after alleging dated King for having been sexually assaulted by Pop when they were a minor.
Reed’s footage is used in a follow-up film for Channel 4 in which he captures the legal wars of Robson and Safechuck after their emotional interviews with Leaving Neverland sparked a fire amid concerns that Jackson was a predator. However, during the production of the second documentary, MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures tried to involve Reed in the lawsuit.
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Jackson’s companies served Reed and his production outfit Amos Pictures with subpoenas inviting him to appear in person for a deposit and to hand over documents and materials related to Leaving Neverland and the sequel. The subpoenas, served on Sept. 21, were followed by Jackson’s attorneys, who filed a brief attempting to discredit Reed, convince the court that he is not a legitimate journalist, and portray Leaving Neverland as one-sided. They also try to ban him from filming in the courtroom.
Reed hit back last week with a motion to overturn the LA court summons. In the 79-page motion, he makes it clear that he is based in the UK and Amos does not operate in California, which could make it difficult for a judge to force Reed to hand over production materials. He also points out that he has no personal relationship with Robson and Safechuck and did not pay plaintiffs to appear in his sequel – a lawsuit the Jackson companies have brought in court.
In response to the brief’s “various false allegations” of its credibility, Reed finalized his record as an Emmy and BAFTA winner, who plans to use Leaving Neverland’s documentation below to record legal proceedings from both sides. “The follow-up documentary I’m currently filming for in these cases is about current events, some of which are taking place in public, and will be an unfolding narrative with multiple facets,” he said.
Reed added emails stating that he asked MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures advisor Howard Weitzman to appear on the second documentary. After a constructive meeting with Reed in June, Weitzman declined. “I have decided that neither I nor anyone in my offices will be in the documentary that we were all discussing for various reasons. That includes the fact that you are already clearly on file that you have no hesitation in believing the stories of both accusers, ”Weitzman said in an email last month. John Branca, CEO and co-executor of the Michael Jackson Estate of the Jackson Companies, also declined to participate in the documentary.
Leaving Neverland
HBO
Reed’s motion to have it waived was supported by a statement from Channel 4’s Director of News and Current Affairs, Louisa Compton. In a strongly worded defense from the director, she said the Jackson companies were trying to “stifle” coverage of the Robson and Safechuck cases.
Compton said, “Understandably, the MJJ companies are not satisfied with Leaving Neverland or the way it is being followed up. It’s easy to see why they wouldn’t want the theme of these films to be made public. As much as they dislike the messages conveyed by these documentaries, we firmly reject their efforts to “shoot the messenger”.
“At Channel 4, in particular, we are opposed to your efforts to subpoena to try to force Reed and his company to turn over all unpublished materials and drag these journalists to dumps. In Great Britain, as in the United States, the courts are very reluctant to oblige journalists to hand over non-broadcast and other journalistic material due to strict legal safeguards to protect freedom of expression. The motives of the MJJ companies are evident in their attempt to ban Reed from filming in the courtroom, thereby prohibiting him from receiving footage to cover the trial. We oppose these efforts to suppress journalism by preventing Reed from further informing the public about these matters of vital public concern. “
In a statement on ., she added, “On Channel 4, we have a solid record of defending freedom of expression. We routinely disapprove of those who seek orders from journalists to hand over unaired and other journalistic material, and we appreciate the strict legal protections that exist to protect journalists in the UK and US. “
A hearing on Reed’s motion to have the summons lifted is due to take place on April 9 next year. Mark A. Young, LA Supreme Court Justice, dismissed Safechuck’s lawsuit Tuesday. Safechuck is ready to appeal. Robson’s case will go on trial on June 14, 2021.
. assumes that HBO has not yet been added to the second Leaving Neverland film. This is due to his own ongoing legal battle with the Jackson estate, alleging the original documentary breached a non-degradation clause in a 1992 contract for an HBO concert special on Jackson’s Dangerous tour. Amos Pictures is hoping for a US co-production partner.
Leaving Neverland won an Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Non-fiction, while it also received a BAFTA TV award for Factual Series.
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