Michael Jackson Biopic 'Michael' Hits Cinemas After Costly Reshoots to Remove Abuse Allegations
The long-awaited Michael Jackson biopic has finally reached cinemas after a troubled production that included £10–15 million worth of reshoots to remove all references to child abuse allegations — changes forced by a legal clause in a decades-old settlement that producers discovered only late in the process.
Background
"Michael," the authorised biopic of the King of Pop, was originally greenlit with a budget of $155 million and was set for release in April 2025. The film stars Jaafar Jackson, Michael's nephew, in the titular role, with Colman Domingo playing his father, Joe Jackson. The project was produced with the involvement of the Jackson estate and directed by Antoine Fuqua.
Key Developments
The film's production was thrown into crisis when lawyers for the Jackson estate discovered a clause in a legal settlement between Michael Jackson and one of his accusers, Jordan Chandler, which explicitly prohibited any depiction or mention of Chandler in a movie. The original script had dedicated significant portions of the third act to the child abuse allegations, with one version even opening in 1993 with police at Neverland Ranch.
The filmmakers were forced to commission entirely new reshoots in June 2025, with the cast reassembling for 22 days of additional photography. The reshoots cost an estimated $10 million to $15 million, covered by the Jackson estate. The revised film now ends with Jackson at the peak of his career during the "Bad" tour, focusing instead on his complex relationship with his domineering father and his recovery from severe scalp burns sustained during a 1984 Pepsi commercial accident — which led to his dependency on painkillers.
"Michael" was released in the United States on 24 April 2026, with early box office tracking suggesting a strong domestic opening weekend exceeding $55 million. Director Antoine Fuqua has expressed scepticism about the abuse allegations, stating that "sometimes people do some nasty things for some money." Michael Jackson's son Prince served as an executive producer, while his other children Bigi and Paris had no involvement; Paris had previously criticised an early script as "sugar-coated."
Why It Matters
The film's troubled production and the decision to remove all references to the abuse allegations have reignited debate about how the entertainment industry handles the legacies of controversial figures. Critics have described the final cut as "sanitised," while audiences appear to be responding positively at the box office.
What's Next
Producers at Lionsgate and Universal are reportedly already considering potential sequels, though it remains unclear how future films would address the legal battles and abuse allegations that marked Jackson's later years. Read the full Variety report here.
