The Associated Press reports that Spike Lee is planning a documentary about Michael Jackson's Bad album. He says he's working with unseen footage that constitutes a "treasure chest of findings." The project doesn't have an official title yet, but it will be part of a wave of nostalgic material released to celebrate the iconic record's 25th anniversary.
Lee says that even those who aren't huge Jackson fans will appreciate the film. We think that with the combination of this director and the subject, it would be hard for the venture to go wrong.
Besides Jackson's artistry, Lee said the documentary will show a more personal side of the late legend.
"He had a great sense of humor, and he was funny — so you'll see a lot of that stuff," he said.
Lee interviewed people ranging from Kanye West to Mariah Carey to L.A. Reid to Sheryl Crow, who was Jackson's background singer on the "Bad" tour.
"We really divided it into two things: Artists today who were influenced by Michael, and then people who worked side by side — musicians, songwriters, technicians, engineers, people at the label, who were all committed to Michael, to the follow-up to the biggest record of all time, which still is `Thriller.'"
Besides the documentary, Lee also plans to hold his now annual birthday tribute to Jackson in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New York, on Aug. 25; Jackson would have turned 54 this year.
"This year we're going to focus on the `Bad' album, we're going to focus on the 25th anniversary, but at the same time we're going to play his full catalog, including the Jackson 5 and the Jacksons," he said. "It's going to be even bigger and better this year."
Read more at Billboard.