The highly anticipated Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, has hit a big roadblock as the production team prepares for extensive reshoots of the film’s third act.
This is all taking place due to a long-forgotten agreement tied to the Jackson family that’s now come back to haunt the project.
According to Puck’s What I’m Hearing newsletter, the controversy centers on the film’s depiction of the 1993 molestation allegations made by 13-year-old Jordan Chandler.
The current cut of the movie portrays Jackson as “naïve” and victimized by opportunistic individuals with baseless claims. Belloni also noted in previous reporting that the biopic “directly engages with the allegations against Jackson” and strongly leans into portraying his innocence.
It turns out that the Jackson family had previously signed an agreement promising never to include the Chandler family in any movie about the late pop star.
This agreement, which somehow slipped through the cracks during script development and production, has thrown the film into chaos.
As Belloni reports: “The agreement was overlooked throughout development and vetting of the script,” leaving the creative team scrambling to rework the story.
The agreement resurfaced when the Financial Times revealed that Jackson’s attorney, John Branca (portrayed in the film by Miles Teller), made multiple secret hush-money payments to accusers following the release of HBO’s controversial Leaving Neverland documentary in 2019.
That documentary featured allegations from Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who are still battling Jackson’s estate in court.
With this new legal landmine blowing up, producer Graham King, director Antoine Fuqua, and screenwriter John Logan are rewriting key parts of the film to comply with the agreement and avoid further backlash.
The revamped script will soon be presented to Lionsgate, leaving the studio with a tough decision to either greenlight the costly reshoots or abandon the project altogether.
The movie is said to be “an in-depth portrayal of a complicated man who became the King of Pop. It will bring to life Jackson’s most iconic performances as it gives an informed insight into the entertainer’s artistic process and personal life.”
The movie stars Jaafar Jackson as his uncle. King said of him: “With Jaafar, every look, every note, every dance move is Michael. He embodies Michael in a way that no other actor could.”
Fuqua added: “We have assembled an incredible team of artists for this project – hair & makeup, costumes, cinematography, choreography, lighting, everything – and some who knew and worked with Michael are reuniting for this film.
“But most importantly, it’s Jaafar who embodies Michael. It goes beyond the physical resemblance. It’s Michael’s spirit that comes through in a magical way. You have to experience it to believe it.”
Fuqua went on to talk about the story that they’re looking to tell with the movie: “Just to tell the facts as we know it, about the artist, about the man, about the human being. You know, the good, bad, and the ugly.” It was previously reported that the film would not shy away from the controversies of Jackson’s life while highlighting the musical accomplishments of his career.
Joining Jackson in the film is 9-year-old Juliano Krue Valdi, who will be playing a young version of Michael. The script for the film was written by John Logan, who previously wrote films such as Gladiator and The Aviator.
The movie was supposed to be released on April 18, 2025, but that will likely change.
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