Michael Jackson's controversial Neverland theme park has been 'brought back to life'

Michael Jackson's Neverland ranch has been rebuilt and refurbished for an upcoming biopic about the singer's life.

The film, titled Michael, will star the singer's nephew Jaafar Jackson in the leading role and is scheduled to release on 18 April next year.

It will follow the life and career of Jackson, and for much of that time the singer's home was the Neverland ranch in California.

As such the ranch and theme park has been restored for filming of the movie, with a number of the rides revitalised and people going through the place once more.

The Neverland ranch in its heyday. (Jason Kirk/Getty Images)

A ferris wheel and circus tent are among the attractions in place at Neverland, which in its heyday had a petting zoo, giant flower clock and all sorts of theme park rides.

Jackson bought the place in 1988, having first visited it in 1983 when he was visiting Beatles star Paul McCartney, who had been staying there during the filming for the music video of 'Say Say Say'.

Back then it was called the Sycamore Valley Ranch, but when Jackson bought it he renamed it after the home of Peter Pan.

Over the years, Neverland hosted a number of events, including Elizabeth Taylor's final wedding in 1991, but in 2003 the ranch was searched in connection with the singer being charged with multiple counts of molesting a minor.

Neverland was Jackson's home between 1988 and 2005, and has been refurbished for his biopic. (Carlo Allegri/Getty Images)

While the singer was acquitted of all charges in 2005, he never returned to Neverland, saying he no longer considered it a home and would never live there again.

Jackson died in June 2009, by which time the theme park rides and petting zoo had been removed, and the following month his brother Jermaine took TV presenter Matt Lauer on a tour of the property.

The ranch was put on sale in 2015 for an asking price of $100 million, but as the years went by the asking price continued to fall until it was bought in 2020 for $22 million.

However, it now appears as though the ranch has restored with theme park rides for the purpose of filming the singer's biopic.

Jaafar Jackson is set to star as his late uncle in an upcoming biopic named Michael. (Araya Diaz/Getty Images for REELZ)

Michael will star Jermaine Jackson's son Jaafar in the leading role while Colman Domingo, Nia Long and Miles Teller are also part of the cast.

The biopic's script has been penned by Gladiator and Skyfall writer John Logan, while Training Day director Antoine Fuqua is in the director's chair.

Filming for the movie had been due to start last year but was delayed due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, with cameras rolling on Michael in January 2024.