The Wiz (film) certain we didn't use anything from it. They made a brilliant movie, and even though our concept is different – they're Kansas, we're New York; they're white, we're black, and the score and the books are totally different – we wanted to make sure that we never overlapped in any area." Michael Jackson, a former Motown star and close friend of Diana Ross was cast as the Scarecrow. By the start of development on "The Wiz" in 1977, he and his brothers The Jacksons, had left Motown for Epic Records, though Jackson had yet to make a solo album since
Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story brief language and thematic elements by the MPAA. The film is a sort of spiritual sequel to "", which discussed the Jackson family as children. The telefilm went on to receive generally negative reviews from both fans and critics alike as the film presented Jackson in a very unflattering manner and did not represent most of the true story. Unlike the former, none of Jackson's songs are heard, only mentioned in the telefilm. "Man in the Mirror" begins with a flashback, albeit with a voice-over narration by Michael Jackson (Flex Alexander), who reminisces on his younger self (played by Brennan