Where Was“ Michael” Filmed? All About the Real-Life Locations in the Biopic
Where Was“ Michael” Filmed? All About the Real-Life Locations in the Biopic
Staff AuthorWed, April 29, 2026 at 10:30 AM UTC
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Jaafar Jackson in 'Michael' (2026); Michael Jackson's Neverland in 2004.Credit: Lion's Gate; Paul Harris/Getty -
Michael filmed at several real-life locations that Michael Jackson frequented in his career and personal life
The biopic features his nephew Jaafar Jackson as the late King of Pop
Jaafar was raised in one of the filming spots, the Hayvenhurst Estate
Michael went all out to recreate some of Michael Jackson's most iconic moments.
The biopic, which came to theaters on April 24, stars the late King of Pop's nephew Jaafar Jackson as his uncle in Michael's rise to fame.
The movie also stars Colman Domingo as Jackson family patriarch and Michael's former manager Joe Jackson, as well as Nia Long as Jackson matriarch Katherine Jackson and Miles Teller as his lawyer-manager John Branca.
In order to properly convey Michael's cultural effect and legacy, director Antoine Fuqua utilized several of the real places where Michael performed, lived and filmed music videos.
Here's everything to know about where Michael was filmed.
Neverland
Michael Jackson's Neverland Estate in May 2004Credit: Paul Harris/Getty
Michael's notorious Neverland Ranch, a 2,700-acre property located in Los Olivos, Calif., was one of the real locations used in Michael. The popstar paid $17 million for the estate in 1988 and spent years renovating it into his personal “entertainment complex" — which included a 65-foot Ferris wheel, a 50-seat movie theater, petting zoo and life-size train.
In 2003, the home was raided by police following an investigation into child sexual abuse allegations against Michael. He was acquitted of all charges two years later, but in 2008, he defaulted on a $24.5 million loan for the estate, per The New York Times.
After Michael suddenly died in June 2009, the Neverland Ranch was remodeled to remove many of his unique additions. In 2020, Michael's financial advisor Ron Burkle bought the property for $22 million.
Michael filmmakers worked with the current owners of Neverland to revamp the property — including adding a petting zoo, per SF Gate. Teller also confirmed that they filmed at Neverland but "dressed it up."
"We filmed at Neverland it was wild," he said in a February 2025 interview on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. "Somebody else had bought it, but we dressed it up."
However, several scenes that were filmed at Neverland — including an earlier 1993 raid — were allegedly cut post-production after Fuqua discovered that Jordan Chandler, a 13-year-old boy who accused Michael of sexual abuse, had a term in his settlement that he and his family could never be mentioned or dramatized in a movie, as he told The New Yorker.
Michael settled for $15 million after Chandler accused him of abuse. The singer denied all wrongdoing.
Hayvenhurst Estate
The Jackson family home in Hayvenhurst, Calif.Credit: AP Photo/Chris Carlson
The Hayvenhurst Estate was another one of Michael's real-life living quarters that was featured in Michael. The home, located in Encino, was purchased by Joe in 1971 amid the rising fame of Michael and his four brothers in The Jackson 5.
Michael moved out of Hayvenhurst and into Neverland in 1988, but several members of his family continued living there. After Michael died in 2009, his three children — Prince, Paris and Bigi Jackson — moved to Hayvenhurst to be raised by their grandmother, Katherine.
In addition to Michael's three kids, Jaafar also grew up at the estate with Katherine for 15 years; his parents, Jermaine Jackson and Alejandra Oaziaza, broke up in 2004. Jaafar confirmed that the movie filmed several scenes at Hayvenhurst, and he even slept on the floor of the home to prepare for the role.
"Shooting at Hayvenhurst, there were so many things going on in my head while trying to be present," Jaafar recalled to Interview Magazine in February 2026. "Past memories of seeing my grandpa in that same chair he was sitting in, or the same chain he was wearing, and then seeing Nia as my grandmother, having that love and that passion and those little subtleties that really make her who she is, it was very emotional. But at the same time, it allowed me to be there in that moment and to feel what Michael must have felt."
Jaafar revealed that he used his personal experiences to help add authenticity to the film and started dancing in the same room where his uncle "used to train."
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"I slept in many different rooms in the house just to feel the energy," Jaafar added. "Staying there allowed that to happen without forcing it. I was so fortunate to have that as my playground. Without that, I don’t think it my performance would be what it is, honestly."
Millennium Biltmore Hotel
The interior lobby of the Millenium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, Calif.Credit: Manny Crisostomo/Sacramento Bee/Tribune News Service via Getty
The Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown L.A. is not unfamiliar to filmmakers — as it's been featured in several movies, from Ocean's 11 to Ghostbusters.
Fuqua specifically used the historic hotel's grandiose architecture to set the scene for various scenes involving Michael's press and public appearances.
Orpheum Theatre
The exterior of the Orpheum Theatre in L.A. in 2012Credit: Victor Decolongon/Getty
Michael filmed at another legendary L.A. staple — the Orpheum Theatre, which was established 100 years ago in 1926.
Although there's no record of The Jackson 5 taking the stage at the famed performing arts center back in the day, the film depicted some of the family band's early performances at the historic theater.
The original Thriller location on the streets of Los Angeles
Michael Jackson in his 'Thriller' music videoCredit: Alamy
Michael made history when he released his 1983 "Thriller" music video that featured him transforming into a werecat and dancing with other monsters in a 14-minute short film.
He shot the video over the course of four days in the Palace Theatre and the streets of downtown L.A. — including Union Pacific Avenue, South Calzona Street and Carroll Avenue.
In order to keep the biopic as realistic as possible, Fuqua recreated Jaafar shooting the "Thriller" video as Michael in the same locations as the original video took place, per Travel and Leisure.
Jaafar performed the opening scene in the Palace Theatre before dancing with zombies across Union Pacific Avenue and South Calzona Street and ending at the famed 1345 Carroll Avenue "Thriller" house.
Pasadena Civic Auditorium
Exterior view of Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, Calif., in 2021Credit: RBL/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
One of the most significant moments of Michael's career was participating in the TV special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, which celebrated the 25th anniversary of the label that helped create his career and launched The Jackson 5.
At the March 25, 1983, event held in the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, Michael and his four brothers performed a mash-up of their most popular songs before Michael took the stage solo to perform his hit song "Billie Jean." He famously sported a black sequin jacket with a matching fedora and a white sequin glove on his left hand.
Michael also debuted his signature moonwalk during the legendary performance.
“Everyone over a certain age remembers the moment Michael did the moonwalk and how it became instantly iconic,” Fuqua explained to NME. “We felt an enormous responsibility to get that historic event exactly right.”
In order to get the scene just right, Fuqua rented out the exact same venue, the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.
“We did a lot of research on the broadcast and the precise camera angles used. And then with that foundation, we went for a little more, as we felt Michael would have done,” director of photography, Dion Beebe said. “We emphasised new details — the sharp movement of his gloved hand, the throwing of the fedora, the precision of his feet — just to really draw the audience in.”
Costume designer Marci Rodgers recalled of filming, “Jaafar hit the stage in that sequinned costume, and as soon as the light hit him, I said to myself, ‘Oh, that is Michael.' "
on People
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