The Nightmares of Edgar Allan Poe

15 August, 2000

Straight from the "What were they thinking?" file comes this next bit of news. Singer Michael Jackson is going to star in a movie. Jackson has just received the script for the movie about the last week in the life of the horror writer Edgar Allan Poe. He will be playing Poe himself.

Producer Gary Pudney said, "Michael says by the time he's done preparing for this, the audience isn't even going to know it's him, with the major makeup. The new Michael is Michael Jackson the movie actor. That is what he wants to devote his energies to."

Jackson will begin preparing for the role following the release of his next album, possibly his last, in January. He is planning on writing one song to be performed during the credits based on Poe's poetry.

The film follows Poe during the last week of his life. Characters from his writings are coming to life and haunting him. The movie ends with Poe's death, giving Jackson "a great death scene." Poe died October 7, 1849. He had been found days earlier lying on the street in a state of delirium wearing ratty clothes.. To this day the events which led to his death are a mystery.

Pudney says that the focus right now is on finding a director. "Michael had conversations with Steven Spielberg, who is a good friend," Pudney says. "Spielberg was enthusiastic and suggested several people, including Tim Burton."

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