Key Takeaways
- Jackie, Jermaine, Tito, and Marlon Jackson will tell the Jackson 5’s story from their perspectives in a new documentary featuring Tito’s final interview before his 2024 death.
- Director Benjamin Hirsch will explore the group’s rise from Gary, Indiana, Joe Jackson’s demanding management, family tensions, and Michael’s ascent through unseen archival footage and conflicting memories.
- The untitled project will launch internationally as either a 90-minute film or three-part series, though producers have not announced a premiere date.
Michael Jackson's brothers are reclaiming their place in the family's history, and their upcoming documentary will include Tito Jackson’s final interview, recorded before his death in 2024.
A new documentary focuses on Jackie, Jermaine, Tito, and Marlon Jackson, examining the Jackson 5's rise, the tensions within the family, and what happened after Michael became a global superstar. According to Variety, the project has been in the works for three years, with filmmakers securing exclusive access to the brothers and previously unseen archival material.
The untitled production, directed by Benjamin Hirsch, is being offered internationally as either a 90-minute film or a three-part documentary series. Workerbee and Paper Route Studios are producing, while Mediawan will introduce the project to international buyers at Mipcom. A premiere date has not been announced.
But Tito's participation gives the documentary particular significance. The Jackson 5 guitarist died in September 2024 at age 70, and his final interview offers a chance to hear his account of the family's history alongside that of his surviving brothers.
The film also promises a closer look at Joe Jackson's notoriously demanding approach to managing his children, starting with rehearsals in Gary, Indiana, long before Motown came calling.
According to the production's description, the brothers have different memories of those years, including "the pressure, the competition, the laughter between takes" and the influence of their mother, Katherine Jackson.
Those competing recollections are central to the documentary's approach.
"This film tells the story of the four remaining members of the original band from their perspective, offering an unprecedented insight into their rise from humble beginnings to global superstardom and their lives through today," Workerbee Group CEO Rick Murray said.
Hirsch, who previously worked on Janet Jackson's documentary, said the production gave access to material that had stayed out of the public eye.
"From listening to their untold and amazing stories, delving into their rare and often unseen archival footage and rediscovering their incredible back catalog of hits, this film has been a real treat to put together," he said.
The project arrives as the Jackson family's history is receiving renewed attention across film, television, and music.
The Michael Jackson biopic Michael, starring his nephew Jaafar Jackson, surpassed $1 billion worldwide earlier this year, becoming Lionsgate's biggest box-office success. A sequel is already in development, with production targeted for late 2026 or early 2027.
Michael's catalog has surged alongside the film. Earlier this summer, "Billie Jean," "Chicago," and "Beat It" occupied Billboard's top three R&B Streaming Songs positions, while Thriller and Bad ranked among Sony Music's best-selling recorded music projects during a quarter in which its music sales increased 22 percent.
