On the heels of the deeply disturbing Surviving R. Kelly, HBO’s upcoming documentary Leaving Neverland has the very real potential to dethrone another one of our childhood heroes.
Centered around Michael’s alleged sexual abuse of two young boys, 10-year-old James “Jimmy” Safechuck and seven-year-old Wade Robson, the documentary—helmed by Emmy-nominated director Dan Reed—has been dismissed as a baseless “public lynching” by the Jackson family ahead of its release.
But while millions of fans of the Thriller maker wait with bated breath, HBO has announced the premiere dates for what promises to be must-see TV.
The two-part documentary LEAVING NEVERLAND explores the separate but parallel experiences of two young boys, James “Jimmy” Safechuck, at age ten, and Wade Robson, at age seven, both of whom were befriended by Michael Jackson. They and their families were invited into his wondrous world, entranced by the singer’s fairy-tale existence as his career reached its peak.
Through gut-wrenching interviews with Safechuck, now 37, and Robson, now 41, as well as their mothers, wives and siblings, LEAVING NEVERLAND crafts a portrait of sustained abuse, exploring the complicated feelings that led both men to confront their experiences after both had a young son of their own.
Produced and directed by Dan Reed (HBO’s Emmy®-nominated “Three Days of Terror: The Charlie Hebdo Attacks” and “Terror at the Mall”), the first part of LEAVING NEVERLAND debuts SUNDAY, MARCH 3 (8:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT), followed by the second part the following night, MONDAY, MARCH 4 (8:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.
Of additional note, the documentary will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and partners’ streaming platforms.