“I was just blown away,” Leaving Neverland director Dan Reed said. “I knew we had something really big.” Reed had interviewed both mean over a few days and decided to reach out to their mothers as well. Both alleged victims, James Safechuck and Wade Robson have found the process to be positive.“It’s all we’ve wanted for the past six years to be able to talk, communicate,” Robson said. It’s just been beautiful.” Safechuck agreed: “It was a long time coming, just connecting to someone who has been through this. It’s amazing.”
Though the film has been described as "disturbing" by some of its viewers, Leaving Neverland received a standing ovation during its Sundance premiere. Some skepticism was still expressed during the Q&A session that followed the screening. An audience member mentioned how many Jackson fans simply do not believe the accusations, and asked both men to address them. “I don’t feel like there’s anything I need to say to them, except that I understand that it’s really hard to believe,” Robson said. “Because in a way, not that long ago, I was in the same position they were. Even though it happened to me, I still couldn’t believe. I still couldn’t believe that what Michael did to me was a bad thing. We can only accept and understand something when we’re ready.”
He also said he hoped the film would help survivors of sexual abuse feel less isolated. “We can’t change what happened to us," Robson statement. "And we can’t do anything about Michael.” Safechuck specified that they did not receive any payment for their participation and were not seeking any personal gain anything from the production.
