It’s been 25 years since he graced the tube as a cartoon Jackson, but the Associated Press, reports that Michael Jackson is returning to his “picture”-esque roots with his role in The Way of the Unicorn, The Endangered One.
Jackson will be starring in The Way of the Unicorn as the voice of Sailor, an orphan who works with a poor litte rich girl and a gaggle of endangered species to rescue Earth. The movie is Jackson’s first appearance in a film of any kind in five years.
Jackson, 42, last appeared in a theatrical release in the 1978 musical “The Wiz” with Diana Ross. His 3-D film “Captain Eo” appeared at Disneyland and Disney World for 10 years, starting in 1986.
Dennis W. Peterson, CEO of Big International Group of Entertainment Inc. in Las Vegas, said the film’s preproduction would start next month according to AP, with an estimated budget of $75 million. The movie, which Jackson is also producing, could be in theaters nationwide as early as spring 2003.
“This is the new Michael Jackson, the movie actor and producer,” said Peterson, Jackson’s co-executive producer. “This is Michael’s future and he wants to devote his energies to it.”
