Movies A controversial new biopic follows Jackson to the pinnacle of his career—and no further. But is it true that the king of pop owed everything to Singin’ in the Rain ? Photo illustration by Slate. Photos by Lionsgate and Frank Edwards/Fotos International/Getty Images. At this point, we all have a pretty good idea of what to expect from a biopic of a musical icon: There will be re-created performances of beloved hits that, with any luck, will give us an enhanced experience of watching the original. The vehicle for the musical numbers, meanwhile, will be a story where the artist wrestles with either substance abuse ( Ray, I Walk the Line, Rocketman ) or a controlling parent/lover/manager ( What’s Love Got to Do With It, Respect ), or a combination of the two ( Elvis, Love & Mercy, Amy ). You can see the pickle the filmmakers behind Michael , the new Michael Jackson biopic , found themselves in.…