Bryan Michael Stoller and Michael Jackson friendship

Bryan and Michael were friends for over twenty years.  It was a magical friendship.

Michael Jackson friendship

Bryan directed the famous parody of the 1980's Pepsi commercial which spoofs Michael Jackson.  The parody, The Shadow of Michael, caught Jackson's attention and he telephoned Stoller, a phone-call which launched a twenty-year friendship.

 

That phone call from Jackson to Bryan was first thought to be a hoax and Bryan was ready to hang up thinking it was one of his friends pranking him.  Thankfully, Bryan was able to confirm the caller was indeed Jackson and soon Bryan found himself being received by Jackson at his Neverland gate.

 

The two were friends until Jackson's untimely passing in 2009.  Michael was featured in Bryan's feature film Miss Cast Away and the Island Girls (a.k.a. Silly Movie 2). This was Michael's last acting appearance in a film.

 

Stoller and Jackson were scheduled to co-direct the motion picture "They Cage the Animals at Night," based on the best-selling novel by Jennings Michael Burch. Mel Gibson hired Bryan to write the screenplay adaptation of Burch's book, with Stoller and Jackson signed to co-direct. Stoller was also mentoring Jackson and his three children on filmmaking.