It turns out Johnny Depp isn't producing that Michael Jackson alien glove musical, but it's still weird as hell

The idea comes from writer Julien Nitzberg, who nearly made made-for-television biopic on Jackson 17 years ago. According to Page Six, Nitzberg and the unnamed TV network couldn’t agree on how to handle Jackson’s child abuse history for television. His proposal? “I said, how’s this? Everything MJ has been accused of has actually been caused by his glove, which is actually an alien from outer space [and] feeds on virgin boy blood. They laughed and said, ‘Can you do the normal version?’” Nitzberg couldn’t. But here we are, 17 years later.

Early reports stated that Johnny Depp and his production company were involved, but The Hollywood Reporter reports that “[t]here is currently a dispute over credits and a rep for Depp says that he and his company are not producing and not involved in any way.” One thing that hasn’t changed? Former Mr. Show and SNL cast member Jerry Minor is playing the glove.

In Nitzberg’s play, glove-like aliens crash in Michael Jackson’s hometown of Gary, Indiana, with one latching onto a young Jackson. Soon, however, Jackson realizes he doesn’t have enough blood to feed them all, so he begins bringing boys home to feed his new alien overlords. The play unfolds across 20 original songs and features Japanese Bunraku-style puppets.

The play opens in Los Angeles on January 25 at the Carl Sagan & Ann Druyan Theater.