Bubbles the chimp's Michael Jackson biopic to be animated tale
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Version 0 of 1. Bubbles, the true-ish story of Michael Jackson told from his chimp’s perspective, will be a stop-motion animation, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Isaac Adamson’s script, which topped 2015’s Black List – a list of the most promising screenplays circulating in the industry – will see the king of pop’s pet tell his version of Jackson’s extraordinary life story. The film’s being co-produced by End Cue and Starburns Industries, the production company, owned by Community creator Dan Harman, who made Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson’s critically revered stop-motion animation, Anomalisa. Bubbles, one of a number of chimps Jackson owned, was adopted by the star in the 80s. He was, by some accounts, treated like a human accomplice. He ate in Jackson’s dining room, used his toilet and even accompanied him to Japan during his Bad world tour. However, Jackson, who died in 2009, was reportedly physically abusive to the chimp on a number of occasions. In 2014, the Daily Mail quoted leading primatologist Jane Goodall who said she had “ticked off” the star after seeing him spanking the primate. Jackson and Bubbles split over fears that the chimp, who became violent in his adolescence, might have hurt the pop star’s baby son, Prince Michael II. It’s not clear how much of Bubbles’s life story will be covered in the film. Now 30, he lives in quiet seclusion at the Centre for Great Apes animal sanctuary in Wauchula, Florida. |