What if Michael Jackson trained Anakin Skywalker? Genius video answers a question no one asked.
"This is the reason why AI was invented."
Michael Jackson as a Jedi.
In the song “Smooth Criminal” off Michael Jackson’s Bad album, the King of Pop asks the question: “Annie, are you okay?” 40-plus times. This led AI am a Jedi, a Star Wars fan, and AI master, to speculate: What would have happened if Jackson, as a Jedi, had trained Anakin Skywalker, who (to the chagrin of many) is known as Ani (pronounced “Annie”) in Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace?
The result is a song with a funky beat, a slinky guitar riff reminiscent of "Another Part of Me," also from Bad, and vocals that sound a lot like Earth, Wind & Fire. Like "Smooth Criminal," the lyrics also repeat (but slightly change from the original) "Annie, are you okay? So, Annie, are you okay? Are you okay, Annie?" many, many times.
In the video, Jackson has had quite an effect on the Jedi council, with a disco ball appearing near Jedi Mace Windu, who belts out the song into a purple microphone. This isn't a nod to Jackson's rival Prince; Windu's signature weapon was a purple lightsaber. The video also features Ani's love interest, Padme Amidala, doing a creepy dance, and Obi-Wan Kenobi has a cameo, taking a shot of Jawa juice.
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Upworthy spoke with AI and a Jedi, who said that as a musician and Star Wars fan, the crossover was a natural fit. They got the idea to include Jackson because the singer was interested in the role of Jar Jar Binks in The Phantom Menace and had worked with Star Wars creator George Lucas on Disney's Captain EO.
Michael Jackson wanted to play Jar Jar Binks
In an interview with Vice, actor Ahmed Best, who played Jar Jar Binks as well as Jedi Master Kelleran Beq in The Mandalorian, said that when he and Lucas met Jackson after a concert, he had no idea the "Billie Jean" singer was considered for the role.
“We were taken backstage, and we met Michael," Best said. "George introduced me as ‘Jar Jar’ and I was like, That's kind of weird. Michael was like, ‘Oh. OK.’ I thought, ‘What is going on?'"
Lucas had his reasons for giving the role to Best over Jackson. "Well, Michael wanted to do the part, but he wanted to do it in prosthetics and makeup like 'Thriller,'" Best said. However, Lucas wanted to create the character through CGI, which was a big risk because it had never been used to create a lead character in a film before. “My guess is ultimately Michael Jackson would have been bigger than the movie, and I don't think he [Lucas] wanted that.”
Is 'Captain EO' part of the Star Wars universe?
Jackson also starred in Lucasfilm’s 1986 sci-fi short film Captain EO, which played in Disney Parks until it was removed in the late '90s, after multiple allegations of child molestation severely tarnished the singer's reputation.
Captain EO was a 3-D adventure where Jackson, along with a ragtag group of aliens and robots, embarked on a musical mission to transform The Supreme Leader, played by Angelica Houston.
Captain EO always felt like Star Wars: The Musical, but it was never clear whether it was part of the franchise's official canon. However, Disney’s recent Star Wars spin-off, Skeleton Crew, has made multiple nods to EO, including characters who resemble Fuzzball and Hooter.
Unfortunately, Jackson didn’t get to appear in The Phantom Menace as Jar Jar Binks, but he’d be happy to know that, after his death, Captain EO may have been part of Star Wars after all.
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