Years before the finished short film reached audiences Michael Jackson was developing a horror project tied directly to Addams Family Values. He wanted something genuinely frightening and reached out to Stephen King. Original director Mick Garris later explained that the early concept was meant to accompany a song Michael was writing for the movie’s end titles.
Production began in 1993 under the working title Is This Scary? with Garris at the helm and even featured some of the Addams Family child actors in early footage. The plan was to release it alongside the comedy. That version never reached theaters. Jackson backed out of the deal and the Addams connection was dropped. The idea then evolved over the next few years into the ambitious short film known as Michael Jackson’s Ghosts.
Michael Jackson – Ghosts (Official Video – Shortened Version)
Special-effects legend Stan Winston took over as director. Stephen King and Mick Garris retained story credit. The finished 35-to-40-minute piece starred Jackson in multiple roles including the mysterious Maestro and the town’s judgmental mayor. It cost roughly $15 million of Michael’s own money according to Garris making it one of the most expensive music videos ever produced.
The story follows an eccentric outsider with supernatural powers who is forced out of a small town by fearful residents. Dance sequences set to “2 Bad,” “Is It Scary,” and “Ghosts” turn the film into both a horror short and an extended music video. Many viewers have noted the clear autobiographical undertones about being judged and misunderstood.
What began as a promotional tie-in for a family comedy became one of Michael Jackson’s most personal and elaborate visual statements. The collaboration with Stephen King and Stan Winston produced a unique piece of 1990s pop culture that still stands out for its ambition, scale and strange beauty.
Watch the official shortened version above then seek out the full-length cut if you want the complete experience. Michael Jackson’s willingness to spend his own fortune on pure creative vision remains one of the more fascinating footnotes in his career.