Jackie, Jermaine, Tito, and Marlon Jackson have granted exclusive access for a new documentary telling the Jackson 5’s story from their own perspectives for the first time. Workerbee, part of Banijay UK, and Paper Route Studios are producing the as-yet-untitled project, set for global release as either a 90-minute feature or a three-part documentary series, with Mediawan handling international distribution and launching sales at Mipcom.
Directed by Benjamin Hirsch, who previously made a documentary on Janet Jackson, the project has been three years in development and traces the group’s path from Gary, Indiana, through global stardom, fractures within the family, and eventual reunion. The film draws on observational footage, rare and previously unseen archival material, and individual recollections from the four brothers, including their differing memories of rehearsals under their father Joe Jackson’s demanding direction, as well as their mother Katherine’s role at the center of the family’s early years. The documentary also includes Tito Jackson’s final interview before his death in September 2024 at age 70, giving his account a particular weight within the larger family narrative.
The project arrives amid a broader resurgence of attention on the Jackson family’s history and legacy. The Michael biopic, starring Jaafar Jackson, surpassed $1 billion worldwide this year, becoming Lionsgate’s biggest box office success, with a sequel already in development. Michael Jackson’s catalog has also seen a commercial surge alongside the film’s release, with several of his songs recently topping Billboard’s R&B Streaming chart. Separately, Marlon Jackson is developing and narrating an eight-episode docuseries on their father, Joe Jackson, titled The Manager, The Mythology, The Legend, for BLK Prime, though no premiere date has been set for that project.
Rick Murray, CEO of Workerbee Group, said the documentary offers unprecedented insight into the brothers’ journey from their own perspective, while Hirsch described gaining access to the family’s untold stories and rare archival footage as a genuine privilege. Dorothea Sterian produces, with Sam Newman-Butler as archive producer, Simon Stanley as editor, and Murray and Marc Pos serving as executive producers alongside Corey Russell of Paper Route Studios.
With two separate Jackson family documentary projects now in development simultaneously, one centered on the brothers and one on their father, the broader question becomes how these parallel accounts will compare once both reach audiences, and whether they align or complicate each other’s version of the family’s history.