Dan Reed

In the film, Wade Robson and James Safechuck allege that Jackson sexually abused them when they were children–Safechuck from 1988 to 1992 and Robson from 1990 to 1996.

They give graphic descriptions of Jackson's alleged sex acts, including masturbation, oral sex, and anal sex, which they claim took place at his home, Neverland Ranch, and other locations.

Robson and Safechuck claim that these acts were regarded as "romantic", and that they did not realize they were inappropriate until adulthood.

Safechuck says Jackson once took him shopping for an engagement ring (which he kept as memorabilia) and later held a mock wedding.

Reed decided that footage he had shot of former detectives and prosecutors from the 1993 case and the 2005 trial was unnecessary.

Reed was unable to contact Jordan Chandler for the documentary and assumed he preferred to remain private.

Reed also said the Chandler and Arvizo stories could form the basis for a second documentary.

The documentary was scored by Chad Hobson, who said his approach was to "imagine a walk through a beautiful and magical forest ... But as you travel deeper into the forest it becomes darker, more distorted, the limbs of the trees becoming more twisted and sinister."

His mother, Stephanie Safechuck, describes feeling elated and dancing when Jackson died in 2009.

Robson says Jackson told him to distrust women.

Both men claimed that Jackson tried pushing them away from their families and "brainwashing" them.

Jackson allegedly sent the two men "love letters" and set up security systems at Neverland to prevent other people from witnessing their sexual acts.

Safechuck claims Jackson eventually replaced him with Brett Barnes; Robson claims he was replaced by actor Macaulay Culkin, who is two years older, because Jackson preferred prepubescent boys.

Robson says he was given Jackson memorabilia as a child; he is photographed burning those items at the end of the film.

Leaving Neverland was conceived by Channel 4 editors.

After Reed produced enough material to make a four-hour film, HBO joined the production.

He felt the length was necessary to present the story "in a way that makes it fully understandable in all its complexity."

Reed said he did not use the film to comment on Jackson's actions or motivations and did not want to interview other key figures because they might complicate or compromise the story he wanted to tell.

The UK version of the film was trimmed by 47 minutes.

He began therapy in 2013 and recalled his trauma for the first time.

In February 2017, Reed and assistant producer Marguerite Gaudin flew to Hawaii to interview Robson, who agreed to tell his story chronologically and without omission of any unpleasant details.

A camera failed shortly after shooting began, but a solution was found; shooting continued until nighttime and continued throughout the second day.

Reed traveled to Los Angeles later that week to shoot Safechuck's story in two days.

Reed said that Robson, Safechuck, and their families received no financial compensation for the film.

After filming, Reed returned to London and began corroborating the stories.

Wondering how Robson's and Safechuck's mothers could have allowed their sons to be allegedly abused, he returned to Los Angeles in November 2017 and interviewed their families.

The interview in which Safechuck discusses and shows the wedding ring was filmed in July 2018.

Leaving Neverland is a 2019 documentary film directed and produced by the British filmmaker Dan Reed.

It focuses on two men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who allege they were sexually abused as children by the American singer Michael Jackson.

Their allegations are the subject of a recent legal ruling, Safechuck v. MJJ Productions, clearing the way for a trial of their long-running claims.

The film is a co-production between the UK broadcaster Channel 4 and the US broadcaster HBO.

Following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2019, it was broadcast in two parts on HBO and as a shortened version on Channel 4 in March 2019.

It received acclaim from critics, winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special, but mixed reviews from viewers.

Leaving Neverland triggered a media backlash against Jackson and a reassessment of his legacy.

However, it boosted sales of his music.

Some dismissed the film as one-sided and questioned its veracity; the Jackson estate condemned it as a "tabloid character assassination", while Jackson's fans organized protests.

A number of rebuttal documentaries seeking to refute the allegations were released.

In February 2019, the Jackson estate sued HBO for breaching a non-disparagement clause from a 1992 Jackson concert contract by distributing the disparaging film.

Director Dan Reed described Leaving Neverland as a "study of the psychology of child sexual abuse, told through two ordinary families ... groomed for twenty years by a pedophile masquerading as a trusted friend."

As of 2020, Reed was developing a follow-up documentary, with Robson and Safechuck returning.