In spite of a lukewarm reception from critics, the biopic “Michael” has reignited Michael Jackson fans’ imaginations. It’s dominated the box office over the last two weeks, taking in more than $430 million worldwide en route to becoming the highest-grossing music biopic ever. 

But Michael Jackson superfans, along with many casual observers, might notice one very large omission — 2,700-acres, to be exact — from the film’s running time of about two hours and 10 minutes: Neverland Ranch.

And that exclusion was not an accident. In fact, the Neverland Ranch was originally the main set piece that the film’s story arc revolved around. But a civil lawsuit from the 1990s changed all that, along with the film’s entire narrative.

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The Neverland Ranch has a long and storied history that intertwines with Jackson’s own legacy. 

When the King of Pop became the world’s obsession during the 1980s, the fabled property also quickly rose to become a household name toward the end of that decade. And when Jackson’s legal and financial troubles began in the early 1990s, the property fell into steep decline. Eventually, it was sold to billionaire Ron Burkle to satisfy bankruptcy liens against Jackson’s estate. Burkle was one of Jackon’s friends and business partners; he also happens to be a producer on the new biopic. 

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Located in the Santa Ynez Valley, about 40 minutes northwest of downtown Santa Barbara, Neverland was Jackson’s found paradise and personal retreat. Even the way he stumbled upon it is the stuff of legend. In the fall of 1983, he and Paul McCartney shot a video for their hit duet “Say Say Say” in Los Alamos. Paul and Linda, his wife at the time, were staying nearby on the property, then........

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