Before DC, Michael Jackson dreamed up his own superhero blockbuster

The legendary Michael Jackson had once dreamed of making his own superhero blockbuster named MidKnight. However, the project never took off.

The project was to be created around the King of Pop, and had been envisioned around the late 1980s and early 1990s when his fame was sky high. It was to be a fantasy film about a guy with a quiet demeanor in the day, who would transition into a superhero slaying the villains at night, per Collider. And, get this: The hero would not just vanquish the villains, he would also dance and sing — much like Jackson!

What were the obstacles that came in the way of this ambitious film? Sad as the fact is that the film did not happen, the reasons are sadder — financial challenges, issues in time management, controversies, and, also, death.

Let us find out more about MidKnight, the superhero film Michael Jackson had planned.

Disclaimer: The article contains mention of suicide and child sexual abuse. Reader discretion is advised.

More details about Michael Jackson's MidKnight

By the end of 1989, Michael Jackson, in association with Sony Pictures planned to make a superhero film. The film was to be backed by the production company Colombia Picture Entertainment. It was named MidKnight, and had the King of Pop as the lead character.

The story was set in New Orleans, and had drawn references from the classic fairytale Cinderella. Interestingly, this film not only would have had a superhero charm, but would also incorporate music and dancing. It would have been such a delight for MJ fans to witness the artiste's magic in his cinema career as well.

This was the period when the pop singer's popularity was at its peak, as both his iconic albums, Dangerous and Bad had done extremely well on the global charts. As per Collider, Jackson's vision for the film was his response to Tim Burton's directorial Batman in 1989. In fact, at the beginning of this film's process, MJ was recording Dangerous.

So, Michael Jackson joined hands with collaborators who had been associated with Tim Burton for long. MidKnight was set to be the directorial debut of the late Academy Award-winning production designer Anton Furst. Furst had worked as production designer on Burton's Batman.

The writers of the film were also from Tim Burton's films — Caroline Thompson and Larry Wilson. As per Vice, when Caroline Thompson was asked about the film, she responded by revealing about their collective hesitance regarding Michael Jackson's acting prowess. She had mentioned:

"I think the reason we decided to do a story about a knight was that a knight usually wears a helmet mask and we wanted to cover up Michael’s face because we thought a film audience wouldn’t take him seriously as an actor. We ourselves had a hard time taking him seriously as an actor."

Thompson, when asked about her interactions with Michael Jackson, mentions that they did not really talk about the film much. The conversations were more inclined towards Jackson's Neverland Ranch, as she states:

"We didn’t really. Mostly he just took us on his tour and he showed us his ranch"

Asked why MidKnight did not take place, Thompson reveals:

"Well we turned it in, and Anton didn’t want to, which is when I said, 'Grow up, Anton.' I told him it is what it is and we’ll see what happens. Anton was scared, it was his first movie. He had no idea what shape it should be in to go to the studio. In those days, studios were in the development business, which they’re not really anymore, so things were taken and processed, as it were."

Along with Anton Furst's self doubts as a filmmaker, there were also creative differences with the writers. As per Collider, Furst was not satisfied with the script that Wilson and Thompson had penned.

Anton Furst, who was already battling addiction, died by suicide in November 1991. In the same year, Sony's Peter Grubers and Jon Peters stopped their association with the company.

Things also turned rocky in the life of Michael Jackson soon afterward, as he faced allegations in regard to cases of child sexual abuse in 1993.

As a result, MidKnight did not take place.

However, after 17 years since the passing of Michael Jackson in 2009, a film based on his life and times is in production. Titled Michael, the film is helmed by Antoine Fuqua, with MJ's nephew, Jaafar Jackson essaying the role of the pop sensation. It is expected to release in 2026.