Naman Shrestha
Helmed by Antoine Fuqua, ‘Michael’ brings to life the biographical tale of the “King of Pop” — Michael Jackson — through the superstar’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson. The musical drama movie chronicles Michael’s journey from his early days in the Jackson 5 in the 1960s to his rise to stardom, and everything in between, including abuse at the hands of his father, the consequences of fame, and the purchase of Neverland Valley. As he becomes the biggest entertainer in the world, he struggles with personal issues off-stage and ‘Michael’ provides the audience a front-row seat to him. The magical tale of music and entertainment unfolds in recording studios, arenas with thousands of fans in the crowd, and streets where he films his music videos.
Michael Filming Locations
Production on ‘Michael’ was conducted across California, particularly in Los Angeles County and Santa Barbara County. Initially, the shooting was supposed to commence in mid-2023, but due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, it was postponed. Finally, after months of delay, principal photography for the biopic reportedly got underway in the fourth week of January 2024 and wrapped up in late May of the same year. The following year, in June 2025, the cast and crew members gathered again for about three weeks of additional photography to tape the new third act and finalize a few scenes from earlier.
Los Angeles County, California
To paint the visual canvas of ‘Michael,’ the production team settled on several spots in Los Angeles County, California. A significant portion of the filming took place in the sprawling city of Los Angeles in the southern part of the state. The affluent neighborhood of Encino in the San Fernando Valley is one of the areas where the team set up camp. In particular, the French Provincial-style Jackson family estate at 4641 Hayvenhurst Avenue doubled up as a shooting site for some sequences. An iconic landmark of music history, the 2-acre estate is where Michael Jackson refined his signature Moonwalk dance move.
Some scenes of ‘Michael’ were lensed at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles, situated at 506 South Grand Avenue. Nestled in the heart of Downtown LA, The historic establishment is known for its grand architecture. The sequence in which The Jacksons perform and mesmerize everyone, including their father, with their talent was taped at The Orpheum Theatre at 842 South Broadway in Los Angeles, with the venue lending its timeless elegance to the aesthetic of the film. To recreate Michael’s iconic zombie-themed music video for “Thriller,” the cast and crew headed to the intersection of Union Pacific Avenue and South Calzona Street in East Los Angeles, where the original music video was recorded.
The EastWest Studios at 6000 Sunset Boulevard also hosted the production of the biographical film. In addition, the production team visited Culver City and utilized the services of Sony Pictures Studios at 10202 West Washington Boulevard, likely for a variety of scenes. A minor chunk of the filming also took place in Santa Clarita, in the northwestern part of LA County. For the purpose of filming, the team transformed a former K-Mart at 1000 North San Fernando Boulevard in Burbank into a Toys “R” Us store. To maintain authenticity while recreating the look, the crew meticulously revamped the retail spot, dressing it up with signage, colorful shelves and era-appropriate decor items.
During a conversation with Motion Pictures, filmmaker Antoine Fuqua talked about shooting most of the scenes in original locations across Los Angeles County. He was glad to have access to the Hayvenhurst property and the actual studios where “Off the Wall” was recorded. “We used the Pasadena Playhouse 9 for the Motown 25 show, we shot “Thriller” at the original location, and we had a full moon every night. It was perfect. That was eerie because the place looks the same. LA is unique. Just like with Training Day, it’s a character for me. There’s a certain light that I’m drawn to. Hayvenhurst is hidden behind the gate, so you would never know that Michael Jackson lived on that street. It’s all so unassuming sometimes, but right in front of your face at others,” he added.
Fuqua was also asked to elaborate on the use of VFX for crowd scenes. He responded, “We brought as many people in as we could. I had to add more cameras because I would look at the monitor and be like, “This young lady is crying, and this guy is over here grooving. We have got to get all this stuff.” It started to feel organic. They were rooting for Jaafar and Michael, and it became very emotional.”
Santa Barbara County, California
For taping a significant chunk of ‘Michael,’ the filming unit also utilized the locales of Santa Barbara County, situated in Southern California. Its county seat, Santa Barbara, served as a prominent shooting destination for the musical biopic. In order to depict MJ’s home, they set up camp in his actual former home — Neverland Ranch at 5225 Figueroa Mountain Road in the unincorporated community of Los Olivos. According to reports, the cast and crew members took over the property for a few weeks between April and May 2025. The nearby Figueroa Mountain Road was also turned into a film set for the movie.
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