According to Shiny Entertainment founder David Perry, Jackson reached out after experiencing Enter the Matrix and later invited him to Neverland to brainstorm a cinematic action-adventure concept. The project went through multiple working titles, including “The Final War,” “Solo,” and eventually “Dark Rim.”

There is only one word to describe Michael Jackson’s musical output: staggering. The best-selling solo artist of all time, who also crafted the best-selling album of all time with “Thriller,” is impossible to catalog. Reports indicate he released ...