How to make a michael jackson biopic work: 5 ideas

Just over a week after Conrad Murray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in Michael Jackson's death, _Variety_ reports that the singer's estate is shopping around a biopic

about the late King of Pop. The project is in the very early stages, with no script, director, or star attached. Inevitably, though, cramming the controversial star's roller coaster of

a life into a two-hour film will be a challenge. Here, five suggestions on how to make a Jackson biopic rock: 1. AVOID A STRAIGHTFORWARD APPROACH Just as Jackson defied convention, his

biopic should flout tradition. How about a roundabout approach, says Sean O'Connell at _Cinema Blend_, like that adopted by Todd Haynes for _I'm Not There_, his take on Bob

Dylan's life. The 2007 film utilized six actors, including Cate Blanchett and Heath Ledger, to embody different aspects of Dylan. That would resolve another dilemma, says Jen Yamato at

_Movieline_: Who to cast as Jackson. This way, a host of talented actors would be able to portray Jackson "at various stages of his life." SUBSCRIBE TO THE WEEK Escape your echo

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to your inbox. 2. DON'T CENSOR JACKSON'S HISTORY The Jackson estate is hinting that the biopic would stop short of covering all the star's ups and downs, says Drew Taylor at

_Indie Wire_. But a "squeaky clean narrative" would be a grave mistake. "Damaging allegations of child abuse, closeted homosexuality, reckless spending, and mental

instability" are some of the most intriguing aspects of Jackson's life. Sadly, "the most fascinating material," says Kyle Anderson at _Entertainment Weekly,_ is also the

"least likely to be depicted on screen." 3. FOCUS ON JUST ONE ASPECT OF HIS LIFE It would be foolish to attempt to bring Jackson's _entire_ life story to the big screen, says

Cole Abaius at _Film School Rejects_. How about several movies that explore "the saga in bite-sized chunks," suggests Taylor. A film solely about the construction of _Thriller_,

for instance, would be extremely entertaining, says Anderson. A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com 4. DON'T MAKE IT A

MOVIE MUSICAL Since no Jackson biopic can move forward without rights to the King of Pop's songs, the filmmakers may be tempted to make this an over-the-top movie musical, says Russ

Fischer at _Slash Film_. It would be much wiser to adopt the _Walk the Line_ model and feature Jackson's music organically through scenes in which the King of Pop performs, rehearses,

and records. 5. CAST THE RIGHT ACTOR Bookmaker Paddy Power has come up with a laughably varied slate of frontrunners to play Jackson, says S.T. Vanairsdale at _Movieline_. Johnny Depp and

Zac Efron lead a list of contenders which also includes, rather bafflingly, Will Smith _and_ his son Jaden, Justin Bieber, Kevin Bacon, Keanu Reeves, and Crispin Glover. The "only

reasonable choice would be to find a newcomer to slip into MJ's bedazzled gloves," says Anderson. It'll be too tough for an established actor to tackle the part

"baggage-free." Of the name-actors being bandied about, only two can be taken seriously: _Community_'s Donald Glover and Justin Timberlake. Which begs the question: Black or

white?